BN feeling the pressure from Chinese youth

KUALA LUMPUR -Younger generation Chinese burdened with high living costs and desire for change are putting added pressure on Barisan Nasional's (BN) Chinese-based component parties that traditionally depend on older voters for support.

In airing this observation, MCA veteran Datuk Woon See Chin said the aspiration for change is significantly stronger among young Chinese than bumiputras.

Woon, a former deputy education minister, was giving his take on the 13th general election (GE13) to China Press.

He pointed out that the yearning is particularly strong among those aged 40 and below, who are inclined to support the Pakatan Rakyat, mainly because their lives are under huge pressure from rising living costs, among others.

"During our grandfathers' time, housing loans could be settled in five to 10 years, but now with house prices skyrocketing, it takes house buyers 20 or even 30 years to pay up their housing debts," he said.

He said more and more young people, particularly the bumiputras, cannot find employment upon graduation.

Unable to strike a balance between income and expenditure, they vent their frustration at the BN government.

Woon opined that even the RM200 smart phone rebate for youths and the RM500 1Malaysia People's Aid would not help BN win back the support of disenchanted young voters.

He said although the unemployment rate is higher among bumiputra youth than the Chinese, the desire for change is relatively less significant among bumiputras, mainly because they still receive some sort of government aid.

"Chinese youth are more independent. They don't rely on any political parties. Some of them have never received any financial aid from the government. These are the ones with stronger anti-BN sentiments," he said, adding that "the same situation is true among Indian youth".

He believed that young voters, especially those who will be casting their ballots for the first time, will not waste their chance to use the ballot box to decide their future.

But the good news, according to Woon, is that older Chinese voters worried about the negative impact of a change in government will continue to support the national front. This is particularly important for BN to keep its hold on Johor.

He believed BN will lose more Johor seats in the general election this year than it did in 2008, but will continue to rule.

-thesundaily