MAHKOTA BY-ELECTION | Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing is urging Mahkota’s Chinese voters to make the right choice and cast their ballots this Saturday.
He quipped that if they don’t vote wisely, they might lose their right to wear shorts and miniskirts.
Speaking at a Chinese cultural event in Mahkota last night, Tiong said not voting would signal support for views promoted by PAS.
“I joked with some ladies. I said, here in Mahkota, we have a by-election… Some parties have been advocating their religious and ethnic views. How are we going to protect our own values?
“I jokingly told them, because she was wearing a skirt that didn’t cover her knees.
“I said, ‘You need to make sure to protect this right, otherwise, next time, you won’t have the chance to wear such miniskirts or shorts. You’ll only be able to hang them in your room’.
“If here in Mahkota, with just one vote, we do not make an effort to support this by-election, it would show that our Chinese community is endorsing the key points advocated by PAS,” he said.
About 35 percent of the Mahkota electorate are Chinese, 54 percent Malay and eight percent Indian.
However, there have been persistent concerns within the government that Chinese voters may choose to stay at home in protest.
One major factor is perceived unhappiness among Chinese towards Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh for attacking Seputeh MP Teresa Kok over the halal certificate issue.
Tiong said the Chinese community must help ensure a decisive victory for BN and use their vote to reject Perikatan Nasional’s “extreme” views.
“We, the Chinese community, must increase the majority vote. We need to show the opposition that the Chinese do not support their extreme, religious or race-based views.
“So, if you are not active and don’t encourage (voting), you are essentially endorsing their views,” the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party president said.
PM not sidelining Chinese
He also dismissed concerns that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was sidelining the Chinese community.
"Some people are saying that Anwar doesn’t care about the Chinese community and doesn’t understand their needs, so he (Anwar) asked me to deliver the message that, like the Johor menteri besar (Onn Hafiz Ghazi), he wants all races to be one family,” he said.
Over 1,000 people attended the cultural event hosted by the Yong An Kluang Lion Dance Association.
It featured lively events with singing and dancing, along with a lion dance performance.
Before delivering his speech, Tiong was seen mingling and toasting with guests.
Other notable guests included Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, PKR vice-president Chang Lih Kang, MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon and BN candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah. - FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.