5,000 at MCA dinner do
Party delighted with encouraging turnout at mega event
GEORGE TOWN: MCA was buoyed by the large turnout at the latest in its mega dinner series.
Some 5,000 people flocked to the Han Chiang High School field here yesterday to attend the dinner, one of the largest crowds in recent memory for the party here.
Delighted with the turnout was party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who warned the crowd against falling for the unrealistic promises made in recent times by Pakatan Rakyat.
“If they do everything that they have promised, our country will go bankrupt in two years,” he declared.
With the positive changes happening under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the apparent lack of performance from Pakatan in serving the constituents, Dr Chua grew optimistic that Barisan Nasional could regain support here.
Penang MCA chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen warned guests of the perils of electing a government in which PAS, the Islamist party, has a strong say.
“A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS. Do not be mistaken that (if the Opposition comes into power), hudud laws will not affect nonMuslims. Under this law, nonMuslim women are viewed as the least important. Women must think before we vote as we need to protect our rights, liberties and positions,” she said.
On Sunday at a function in BATU PAHAT, Dr Chua said the Chinese community should neither politicise education issues nor turn them into a racial matter.
Instead, he said, the community should focus on the value of learning the Chinese language and ensured that it continued to flourish.
“We should also emphasise on the commercial value of the language,” he said during his speech at a lighting-up ceremony for Chinese New Year organised by Batu Pahat Chinese associations at Dataran Penggaram.
Dr Chua also spoke on how Chinese education in Malaysia had developed, adding that there had been support from the Government and others.
He dispelled accusations that the Government wanted to wipe out Chinese schools.
“The number of students in Chinese primary schools and independent schools has been increasing every year.
“From 1999 to 2010, 75 Chinese primary schools have been relocated, 17 new schools set up and more than 1,000 classrooms built.”