‘MCA not afraid of facing Pakatan’

SUNGAI BESI: MCA is unfazed by the prospect of facing the Pakatan Harapan election machinery and will meet the challenge headon, says Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

“This is a democratic country and they are welcome to contest any of the seats,” said the MCA president yesterday.

Liow was asked his opinion of Pakatan’s “100 days before GE14” campaign, which includes a series of nationwide ceramah at MCA strongholds such as Gelang Patah, Ayer Hitam and Bentong.

“We have been targeted not just by Pakatan – DAP especially has been targeting MCA seats,” he said.

Liow, who is also Bentong MP, said that MCA was working hard to face any challenges thrown at it by the Opposition.

He also dismissed allegations that there was disagreement over seat allocation between Barisan Nasional component parties for the coming general election.

“We have no problem on seat allocations, just a discussion about swapping seats.

“MCA has already regained the Gelang Patah seat (from Umno),” said Liow.

For the 13th General Election, MCA loaned the Gelang Patah seat to Umno.

However, the Umno candidate and former Johor mentri besar Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Othman lost to DAP’s Lim Kit Siang with a majority of 14,762 votes.

Meanwhile in a separate statement, MCA religious harmony bureau chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said DAP was getting “more arrogant and brave” with each passing day.

“In the past, when they did not have the Malay support, they pleaded and begged the Chinese to give them some seats to do check and balance on the Malays.

“The truth is that DAP wanted to destroy MCA so that they can lay absolute claim to the Chinese political strength,” he said.

He added that DAP had successfully displaced MCA in terms of seats by teaming up with Malay-centric parties, but had failed in influencing them to adopt multiracial inclusive policies.