Chin Tong: Those wanting DAP to only focus on 'Chinese base' are 'half-witted'

DAP senator Liew Chin Tong has again made the case that the party must expand beyond its Chinese base and does not have kind words for those who insist on focusing on one single demography.

"I told our members that whenever a newspaper column or anyone, inside or outside the party, tells us that DAP should just take care of its so-called 'Chinese base', these people are either half-witted or they have a malignant intention," he said in a statement on Facebook.

Liew said he conveyed this during a briefing session for DAP members hosted by Bakri MP Yeo Bee Yin and Bentayan assemblyperson Ng Yak Howe.

Liew said they spoke to their most important grassroots leaders there about the current political perplexity.

He also cautioned against efforts to have DAP only focus on its Chinese base.

"We must be very aware of the intention of such campaigns and not play into the hands of our enemy.

"There are no seats that are ‘Chinese seats’ per se. All seats that we contest in are multi-ethnic seats.

"All parliamentary seats contested by DAP in Johor are very multi-ethnic in composition," he said.

Liew went on to list the parliamentary seats DAP contested in Johor and its composition as follows:

Bakri: Chinese 53.1 percent; Malay 44.23 percent; Indian 2.15 percent
Labis: Chinese 44.94 percent; Malay 37.98 percent; Indian 14.68 percent
Kluang: Chinese 47.49 percent; Malay 41.63 percent; Indian 9.38 percent
Kulai: Chinese 54.04 percent; Malay 34.96 percent; Indian 10.24 percent
Iskandar Puteri: Chinese 49.79 percent; Malay 36.65 percent; Indian 12.46 percent
Ayer Hitam: Chinese 37.97 percent; Malay 57.68 percent; Indian 4.01 percent

"No seat has more than 55 percent Chinese voters whereas all of these seats have 35 percent and above Malay voters, with some having a very significant number of Indian voters," said Liew.

Liew stressed that DAP's goal has always been to serve all Malaysians regardless of ethnic and religious background.

"The DAP must do everything it can to guard against those who try to stir up racial division," he said. - Mkini