MCA warns of PAS-led govt in Johor

PAS will contest 32 out of 56 state seats in Johor, and it will halt all mega projects in the pipeline should it come into power, says Dr Chua Soi Lek.

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has warned that Johor will fall into PAS hands if Pakatan Rakyat takes the state.

He said the DAP will try to urge the voters to vote for Pakatan but the DAP won’t have the numbers to rule the state.

“Today DAP says it wants to break into the Barisan Nasional’s bastion in Johor. Johor has 56 seats, but I dare say DAP will only contest in less than 15 seats, whereas PAS will contest 32 seats.

“If Pakatan gains power PAS will be calling the shots. All mega projects in the pipelines will be halted,” Chua said at the party’s anniversary celebration in a restaurant here today.

He added that PAS was known for its religion-centric policies and ignorance in economic developments.

Pakatan has named Johor as its frontier state in the coming 13th general election in an attempt to shake the ruling coalition its long grip on power in the state.

PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub has announced his shift to contest in Johor – his birthplace – from Kelantan while DAP’s veteran Lim Kit Siang was also rumoured to stand in the state.

Currently, BN holds 50 seats in the Johor State Legislative Assembly while the opposition has the remaining six.

Chua also said a vote for DAP meant a vote for PAS because DAP was only a “supporting actor” in all states but Penang.

“Let’s look at the last general election, it is proven that a stronger opposition would only benefit PAS. Out of the five states Pakatan won, PAS took the menteri besar’s positions in three states.

“The best example is Perak; although DAP had 18 elected representatives, and PKR and PAS only 13 MPs, the menteri besar was from PAS,” he said, in reference to the brief reign of Pakatan state government in Perak between 2008 and 2009, in which PAS’ Nizar Jamaluddin was the menteri besar.

“DAP has already changed; it now embraces PAS and its Islamic teachings. If we want to reject PAS and DAP, we should not forget they both are political allies,” he said, urging the voters to also abandon the DAP.

The MCA luncheon was attended by more than 300 people, most of them sporting the dark blue “stability above chaos” polo tee-shirt.

Meanwhile, on a separate matter, Federal Territories MCA chief Tan Chai Ho announced during the event that he would not seek to return to Bandar Tun Razak – a seat held by him until 2008 – in the coming general election.

He said although there have been numerous calls for him to re-contest the seat, he felt that it was wise to go at an appropriate time.

Tan was the former deputy home minister until he was defeated by Khalid Ibrahim in the constituency in 2008.