‘Malay tsunami’ just a scare tactic, says Chong

SEREMBAN: Claims by the Opposition of a Malay tsunami in the coming general election are nothing more than a ploy to scare the Chinese into voting for them, said Datuk Chong Sin Woon.

The MCA Youth chief said the move was merely a tactic to scare the Chinese into joining the socalled unhappy Malays to vote out the incumbent government.

“The Opposition is actually worried that more Chinese are now supporting Barisan Nasional.

“This was evident in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar byelections as well as surveys conducted by both MCA and DAP,” he said after presenting aid to 33 Village Security and Development Committees and six mosque and surau committees here.

Chong said monthly surveys conducted by MCA over the past two years showed that an average 35% of the Chinese electorate were now supporting Barisan.

“In 2013, it was only between 15% and 20%.

“Even DAP knows this from the surveys they have conducted and are worried, hence the claim of a Malay tsunami,” he said.

Chong said Chinese voters had given good support to the Opposition in the 2008 general election and the percentage increased in the 2013 polls.

“At that time, their main pillar was the late Karpal Singh.

“With his passing, DAP compromised its values and was prepared to work with people like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and this has also upset many,” he said.

Chong said he felt that both Barisan and MCA would do better in the coming polls with more Chinese voters being supportive of the ruling coalition.

“We in MCA are confident of wresting some of the seats we lost the last time.

“More Chinese voters will also back us this time as they have given the Opposition two terms to deliver but they were let down each time,” he said, adding that some voters did not even know the names of their wakil rakyat from the Opposition as they were hardly on the ground.