Mukhriz makes life difficult for BN in battle for key Kampung Cina vote

By Adib Zalkapli

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 14 - Situated in the middle of Kuala Terengganu town, Kampung Cina, the area with the highest concentration of Chinese in the Parliamentary constituency, may decide which party wins the seat.

And Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir's recent remarks about abolishing vernacular schools appears to be turning into a major issue that could swing the voters there who are traditional Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters away from from the ruling coalition.

The DAP has already promised to send national party leaders to campaign for the Pakatan Rakyat candidate with the aim to attract the Chinese voters' attention to national issues affecting the community.

Close to 9,000 out of the 80,000 voters in the east coast seat are Chinese and the BN candidate in the last general election Datuk Razali Ismail won by a small margin of only 628 votes.

But local Umno leaders met after an election preparation meeting recently expressed confidence that the community would remain loyal to the ruling coalition just like in the previous election where the sole Chinese assemblyman from the MCA Toh Chia Yaw won the Bandar state seat by 1,142 votes.

"Just get the head the rest will just follow and support us," said a Kuala Terengganu division member, ruling out the possibility that the Chinese voters in the constituency would emulate their west coast counterparts.

But some Chinese voters in the heart of the town appeared to be uncomfortable with remarks made by Umno leaders that touch on the community, in particular Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir's call for vernacular schools to be replaced with a single school system.

Businessman Yen King Seng says that people are angry with talk of doing away with vernacular schools. - Picture by Choo Choy May

"I can understand why such statements were made, because the Umno elections are coming but it made people angry," said a businessman in Kampung Cina, Yen King Seng, who claimed to be a life member of MCA but is now disappointed with the party.

"They are so dirty that nobody can get any worse, anyone fielded by BN here will lose," added Yen expressing his confidence that the Islamist party Pas would do well in the Chinese area.

"We are not publicly showing our dissatisfaction. Just wait for the polling day," said Yen.

However another Kuala Terengganu native Pauline Yang believes that the vernacular school issue would not have much effect on the Chinese voters' sentiment but still she did not understand why anyone would want Chinese schools to be closed.

"I don't understand the timing of the statement, as it was made at a time when they have lost the support of the Chinese. I'm not angry just confused," said the teacher who is a BN supporter.

She believes that the issue was just a storm in a teacup and it would not lead to implementation.

"Anyone can talk but will it be agreed to by other leaders? And it didn't come from someone from Terengganu," said Yang but added that the presence of national DAP leaders such as its Secretary General Lim Guan Eng may change the voters preference.

"We have to be practical and look at the development brought by them," she added saying that she was happy with the progress made by the state after the BN took over the state from Pas in 2004.

A coffee shop owner, Hah Giok Chai, who would be voting for the third time this coming by-election, said the vernacular schools issue may have angered her but cannot say yet if it would influence her decision.

A batek shop situated in the midst of Kampung Cina does brisk business throughout the year. - Picture by Choo Choy May

"Of course I am angry but it's too early to tell, I have to look at the candidates," said Hah.

"I don't have to go, here one or two people going is enough. They will tell us what happen," she added.

But for Toh, who is also state Exco member, the uneasiness among the Chinese voters was aggravated by the media.

"Whatever said by Umno leaders is given prominent coverage," Toh told The Malaysian Insider.

"But look at the Pas opposition to street dance in Penang and some Pas leaders have been attending gatherings that oppose the rights of the non-Malays, but nobody says anything, Pas also talk differently in an all Malay crowd," said Toh adding that he hoped the Chinese voters would look at the bigger picture.

"Look at the PM and DPM, the decision makers, they are not against the non-Malays," he added.

However he agreed that the statement by the Jerlun MP on vernacular schools should not be made in the first place.

"National figures must know what to say and how to say it, anyway who is Mukhriz? He is just someone contesting in the Umno election," said Toh.

"If people are not happy with him, they should show their unhappiness in his constituency, not in Kuala Terengganu."