DAP gets rolling for GE14 with kopitiam talk
KUCHING: Democratic Action Party (DAP) wants people to reject politics of fear, race and corruption that have been practised by the Barisan Nasional (BN) come the 14th General Election (GE14).
DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen pointed out that Umno has made DAP its biggest enemy by using racial sentiment to make Malays feel threatened should DAP come into power at the Umno General Assembly.
“I am telling you, all Malaysians and all Sarawakians, that the choice is not about Umno or Malaysia, the choice is about politics of hope versus politics of fear, politics of good and clean governance versus politics of racist sentiment of the BN,” he said.
Chong highlighted this at the DAP’s Kopitiam Talk, a campaign to meet the rakyat, that kicked off yesterday at a coffeeshop in BDC here.
“This is the choice we are going to make in the coming GE,” he stressed.
Chong observed that many people have started to lose hope after opposition coalition continuously failed to topple the BN government but reassured yesterday that hope is not lost.
“DAP until today, having been through 308 (GE 2008) and 505 (GE 2013), has made many breakthroughs and progress.
“People’s faith may be shaken but let me tell you that this time around, it is more crucial and definitely better than the past 10 years,” he said.
“Hope is not gone even though PAS has withdrawn from the opposition pack, but now we have Tun Dr Mahathir as well as former leaders Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Muhkriz Mahathir to pull in the Malay votes from rural areas,” he added.
Chong also observed that the GE14 may not be held soon as reported because Umno only has a 50-50 chance in Kedah, Johor Bahru and Sabah notably, while Selangor and Penang are opposition stronghold.
“So they (Umno and BN) are banking on Sarawak only.
“So we have a lot of work to do still. So I don’t think parliament will be dissolved anytime soon,” he said.
Chong urged young people especially those yet to register as voters to do so because they have the chance to make the right choice.
“We cannot give up hope on our country unless you want to migrate elsewhere but 99 per cent of people are still unable to do so,” he said.
“There is hope and we must continue to pursue change for the betterment of our future, our people, our country, our next generation.”
Stampin member of parliament Julian Tan as well as Chong’s special assistants Abdul Aziz Isa and Kelvin Yii also gave talks where they raised various issues and problems still plaguing Sarawak and Malaysia including unfulfilled promises by the BN government, unexplained missing Minor Rural Project (MRP) fund, depreciation of the Ringgit, restoration of Sarawak’s status under the Malaysia Agreement, 1MDB and so forth.