DPM and MCA trade barbs

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin appears to have ruffled the feathers of MCA leaders by publicly accusing MCA of “not understanding” Chinese sentiments. 

At the Batu Umno division AGM on Sunday, Muhyiddin(left) had accused BN component parties - specifically naming MCA and MIC - of failing to understand the Chinese and Indian sentiments. 

According to a report bySin Chew Daily, in order BN to win any seats, local leaders must first understand the sentiments of all races. 

He said that when he visited the Umno division, he would be given a briefing on the ground sentiments, but component parties appear to be a problem. 

Specifically mentioning MCA, Muhyiddin said he could not understand why the party could not “read” Chinese sentiments. 

“Are the Chinese really that complicated? Can their attitudes not be comprehended?” he asked. 

Muhyiddin went on to say that the Chinese community will not express themselve freely when approached by BN, but will do so through a third party. 

Using his own constituency of Pagoh as an example, Muhyiddin said his Umno division and MIC counterparts had managed to resolve problems faced by all 1,744 Indian voters within a month. 

He hoped that MCA and MIC would be able to emulate this. 

‘DPM is too Malay-centric’

In an immediate response, MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai accused Muhyiddin of failing to understand Malaysians as a whole. 

“He said that the MIC and MCA don’t understand the voice of the people. In my opinion, the deputy prime minister must understand the voice of all Malaysians and not just listen to Malays,” he said. 

Liow (right) said that what the Chinese wanted was fair policies and not policies that are double-standard in nature. 

“He cannot just look after the needs of the Malays, but look after the needs of all Malaysians. If he understood that, he would not have made those comments,” said Liow, according to Oriental Daily.

According to Sin Chew Daily, Liow said MCA understood very well the sentiments of the Chinese community and will raise these issues in the cabinet and through other means. 

“Policies which are not fair to the Chinese community are being slowly rectified. Others which have yet to be settled with be settled swiftly, to ensure that policies will be open,” he said.