Tg Piai Polls The Best Testing Ground To Gauge Mca S Chinese Support Says Tok Mat

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The Tanjung Piai by-election will the best testing ground for Barisan Nasional to gauge how well MCA could garner back Chinese support, says Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
“We want to see how is the acceptance and support towards MCA. So, this is the best testing ground.
“We also want to see how far MCA can pull back Chinese votes and attract their attention” he told reporters after a ceramah at Jalan Parit Bugis on Wednesday (Nov 6).
The Rantau assemblyman, who has been campaigning for the fourth day in Tanjung Piai, said his observation found that political views among the Chinese has became neutral, which is a contrast compared GE14, where sentiments were mostly siding Pakatan Harapan.
“That’s important. We want them to be neutral and then it’s up to us how to convince them. Chinese voters are intelligent with the ways they use votes (to express political views).
“So long as they are already on neutral ground, it depends on how we approach them, ” said Mohamad.
Asked if the return of Chinese support could begin in Tanjung Piai, Mohamad said “nothing is impossible”.
“Look at the Rantau by-election, I enjoyed about 25% Chinese votes and 38% Indian votes.
“It’s a matter of how we convince them. We must send the right message. Don’t talk nonsense and do work.”
Fondly known as “Tok Mat”, he said a candidate’s appeal to voters depends on his or her’s abilities to service the voters.
“Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim danced nearly everyday (during the Rantau by-election) and they still couldn’t win.
“I work hard in Rantau and I’m there every Thursday, ” he said.
Mohamad said the by-election would also be a testing ground in terms of public acceptance for the Muafakat Nasional alliance with PAS.
“The first phase was Penyatuan Ummah (Muslim unity), where the two biggest Malay parties in the country must unite and that’s done.
“The second is where we migrate to Muafakat Nasional. We want to embrace everybody and that is why MIC and MCA was looped in.”
Mohamad said the Muafakat Nasional alliance could be a new brand to replace Barisan.
“Maybe Barisan is no longer palatable to the people? Maybe we call Muafakat Nasional as a new party? Why not? So these are the possibilities that I’m exploring.
“Tanjung Piai is the best testing ground to send a message to Malaysians that we are not the party as accused by our opponents, ” he said.
Muafakat Nasional refers to the new alliance between PAS and Barisan, which was formed in September this year.
MCA and MIC are components of Barisan.
The Nov 16 polls will be a six-cornered fight between Pakatan’s Karmaine Sardini, Barisan’s Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng, Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam, Berjasa’s Datuk Dr Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, and two independent candidates – Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar and Ang Chuan Lock.
The by-election was called following the death of its incumbent Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik on Sept 21.
In GE14, Dr Farid won the seat with a 524-vote majority.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/11/06/tg-piai-polls-the-best-testing-ground-to-gauge-mcas-chinese-support-says-tok-mat#aDYzfzepsxcBE0yk.99

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