Pakatan Harapan is banking on its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Bersatu to upstage Umno in its traditional strongholds in the coming general election, hoping that he will generate a “Malay tsunami” that would alter the six-decade-old political status quo.
However, former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek is pessimistic that the man with whom he fought alongside in five general elections will be able to pull this off.
According to Chua, the former prime minister’s impact would be limited to Malay voters in urban constituencies, but not those in the rural areas.
“No other party has taken care of the Malays like Umno has. They (Malay voters in rural constituencies) fear change,” the former MCA president told Malaysiakini.
On the same note, he pointed out that the Mahathir factor could pose a threat to Umno and BN in Kedah, which is the former prime minister's home state.
Commenting on Harapan naming Mahathir as its prime minister candidate, Chua said that although Mahathir – whose trademark trait he described as “my way or the highway” – possessed a wealth of knowledge and experience, he also comes with enormous baggage.
“There is no doubt that he has done a lot (for the nation) during his 22 years as prime minister. But he has also inflicted a lot of harm.
“It was during his time that cronyism reared its ugly head, there were direct negotiations and the terms with regard to highways being drafted in a manner favourable to the concessionaires.
“Then, there is the judiciary (crisis). A lot of people blame him for this,” he added.
By naming Mahathir as its candidate, Chua said, his baggage has been transferred to Harapan.
He also claimed that certain quarters find it difficult to accept former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and DAP working with Mahathir.
“This cooperation is not only a U-turn by Mahathir, but also by Anwar and the Reformasi group.
“I went through five elections under Mahathir, during which DAP would attack him as being corrupt, call him racist and a dictator.
“Now, they are cooperating with him as if his past sins have been buried,” he added.
On how the Chinese would vote in the coming general election, Chua said the anti-establishment sentiment remained strong in the community.
Based on this, the former health minister predicted that DAP would do well, but would not be able to replicate its previous performance of 38 parliamentary seats in the 2013 election.
“The Chinese have accepted that without Malay support, one cannot change the government,” he said.
Chua led MCA in the 2013 general election, which saw it faring worse than it did in the 2008 general election.
The party's 15 seats in Parliament were reduced to seven, while its 32 state seats dropped to 11.- Mkini
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