You are Chinese chauvinists, Khir tells MCA comrades

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid and Rahmah Ghazali - Free Malaysia Today,

FMT INTERVIEW SHAH ALAM: Selangor Umno opposition chief Dr Mohd Khir Toyo today claimed that some of his comrades from MCA are supporting the DAP and blasted them as "Chinese chauvinists".

The former menteri besar said this is evident when some MCA leaders praised the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government for the move to appoint a Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblyman as the chairman of the state's Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Current Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim claimed the decision reflected his administration's check-and-balance initiative and is in line with the practices of developed democracy.

But Khir is not impressed. While chastising Khalid's decision as "insincere", the Sungai Panjang assemblyman had set his guns on certain MCA leaders whom he felt were betraying their own coalition by supporting their rival's policy.

The Selangor PAC comprises seven members, with five from Pakatan and two from BN. Khir said the latter could only play the role of "yes-men" despite the PAC being chaired by the BN.

"If you are put in that position, what can you do really? It's something funny. This decision (to appoint a BN rep as PAC head) is aimed at making a fool out of us. If you want check and balance, give us more numbers, give us the majority. Only then the chairman has power," he told FMT in an interview.

"This is why sometimes I see some of the Selangor MCA leaders are supporting the DAP because they are chauvinists," he added.

Khalid a DAP puppet?

The DAP has long been the target of attacks by Khir and his supporters who accused the predominantly Chinese party of racial politics. For Khir, elements in the MCA supporting the DAP are racists.

Khir has used the race card to tarnish the state government by claiming that Khalid is a puppet of the DAP, implying that the nation's richest state is under Chinese control.

"If MCA leaders support the DAP, they are chauvinists because the DAP is a chauvinist party. No one can deny that. In the party's constitution, the DAP makes no mention of the Malays, Islam or the Indians. Although the party was started by an Indian, it remains a Chinese chauvinist party," said Khir.

Khir has been at the forefront in leading the BN's assault against Khalid's government, often playing up Malay sentiments to galvanise support as the BN aims to recapture the nation's goldmine by the next general election.

BN's chances remain 50-50

Khir said BN's chances, despite having BN supremo and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak himself overseeing efforts to regain Selangor, remains "50-50" in the next general election.

He admitted that despite Umno's strong communal politicking, it still needs non-Malay support to turn its quest into reality.

"To win Selangor, you cannot depend on Malays only. Malays consist only of 50% to 60% in one or two parliamentary constituencies, the rest is below 50%. We still need the Indian and Chinese votes. Otherwise we cannot win," he said.

Despite the conspicuous racial politicking on Umno's side, Khir insisted that the non-Malay votes are returning and urged BN to "change its ways" to regain lost support through a more hands-on approach to politics.

"The Malays and Indians are returning to BN due to a few issues. The Chinese have refused to come back. But they will if BN changes its ways. We cannot be like before. We must go down to the ground more often. That's what our prime minister wants".