PETALING JAYA: Amanah was able to contest a state seat in Kelantan only because Barisan Nasional made way for the party, an MCA leader said as the spat between the two parties over Kota Lama continues.
Kelantan MCA chief Chua Hock Kuan said BN made way for Amanah after MCA decided to sit out the state polls last year to focus on the 16th general election.
“Amanah should be grateful for BN making way for them.
“They also won the seat, which they never contested before, because the BN machinery helped them a lot,” Chua told FMT.
In the state election in August, Amanah’s Dr Hafidzah Mustaqim won the seat for Pakatan Harapan by a narrow 202-vote majority over Perikatan Nasional’s Zamri Ismail.
Yesterday, Amanah communications director Khalid Samad said it made little sense for MCA to contest the seat, which has a sizable Chinese voter base, because of its poor track record.
“What’s the point of contesting if MCA keeps losing? Previous results show that they cannot win,” Khalid had said.
The lobbying for the seat follows a statement by Kelantan BN chairman Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub that MCA would be given a state seat to contest in the next general election.
Chua had previously said Kota Lama remains the most suitable option for MCA as the party has historically contested there.
MCA last held the Kota Lama seat after the 1995 general election. From 1999 until 2023, PAS held the seat through Anuar Tan Abdullah.
Chua said Khalid, as a former federal minister, should not be easily offended by MCA’s demand for the seat, noting that 30% of the 33,043 voters in Kota Lama are Chinese. - FMT
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