Samy Vellu: 70 Umno seats at risk without non-Malays support

SUNGAI SIPUT, Oct 30 – Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu has warned Umno that it cannot win at least 70 federal seats without the support of non-Malays in the next general election, contradicting the opinion of a Malay leader.

The MIC president’s angry reaction came after Titiwangsa Umno’s acting chief Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani said the dominant party in Barisan Nasional (BN) did not need the support of Chinese and Indian voters.

“How can he say the Umno does not need Chinese and Indian support. Without Chinese and Indians support BN cannot win in almost 70 constituencies,” said the former Sungai Siput MP (picture), who had also highlighted the fact that he had won the seat in 1990 due to the support of Malay voters.

The former Works Minister said Johari was insensitive, adding the Umno leader should not be a politician in the first place.

“In fact, Indians votes will be crucial for BN in the next GE,” he told reporters here.

During a speech at a private function broadcasted on YouTube.com, Johari was reported as saying that Titiwangsa Umno does not need Chinese and Indian votes if 70 per cent of the voters are Malays.

MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had also demanded the Titiwangsa Umno leader to retire from politics.

Several other Umno leaders, especially from the Federal Territory, had agreed that Johari’s comment can affect support from Chinese and Indian voters toward BN in the future.

They said this meant that BN will find it difficult to win areas where non-Malay voters make up to about 20 to 30 per cent of the electorate.

They had also admitted that not all Malay voters will vote for BN or Umno as the Malay votes are now divided between Umno, PAS and PKR.

“The Indians are returning to BN, so do not underestimate their strength and support for BN. He is causing major upset to the PM’s new political culture of uniting all races behind BN.

“We don’t need this kind of politicians who think that BN can win with just the Malay votes. I’m shocked to know that someone within BN could utter such remarks,” Samy Vellu said.

The MIC president is slated to hand over the party to his deputy Datuk G. Palanivel next January after he was widely blamed for the party’s losses in Election 2008.

Privately, most non-Malay leaders in the BN say chauvinism among some Umno leaders was the reason for the defeat in Election 2008.

Despite a majority of Malay voters in Titiwangsa, it together with all other federal seats in the Federal Territory fell into the hands of Pakatan Rakyat in Election 2008.

The BN lost four states and its customary two-thirds parliamentary in Election 2008, pushing then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to hand over the coalition to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib took office in April 2009 with his 1 Malaysia policy to retain and regain support for the coalition that has ruled the country since Merdeka in 1957 when it was known as the Alliance.

The BN is facing two by-elections, the Galas state seat and the Batu Sapi federal seat, on November 4 as Najib seeks to revive the coalition ahead of snap polls expected next year. - Malaysians Insider