Despite MCA's hate campaign, PAS gets unprecedented Chinese support

Although those who voted for Pakatan Rakyat yesterday represented Malaysia's multiracial demography in contrast to UMNO-BN's vote bank, one fact which has emerged is that an overwhelming number of Chinese voters had backed PAS candidates this time around.

■ In the run-up to polling day, BN workers put up banners in Chinese such as this hoping to scare away non-Muslims from PAS

Nowhere is this phenomenon - unprecedented in PAS's electoral history in the face of intense campaign by MCA to scare non-Muslims away from the Islamic party - is more obvious than in Selangor, where Pakatan Rakyat strengthened its state government.

One example is in Selayang's Taman Daya, a predominantly Chinese area, where the PAS candidate garnered 1681 votes against BN's 160 votes.

Said Zaidy Talib, PAS's winning candidate in the Taman Templer state seat:

"I won with a majority of 7467 (votes) due to support from urban voters especially the Chinese," he told Harakahdaily.

Zaidy was among many other Selangor PAS candidates who improved their performance compared to 2008.

PAS won in 15 state seats. Its allies DAP and PKR meanwhile won 15 and 15 respectively, in what has probably dashed all hopes of UMNO to wrest back Malaysia's most urbanised and industrialised state.

At the parliamentary level, PAS won Shah Alam, Kota Raja, Hulu Langat, Sepang and Sungai Besar.