IT ALREADY HAS! Umno won't take ‘POLITICAL REVENGE’ on the Chinese - Khairy

PETALING JAYA (Nov 6, 2013): UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin says Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno definitely cannot take "political revenge" against Chinese voters who did not support them in the last general election (GE). To do so will make it difficult for them to win back these voters in the next polls.

"Barisan cannot obtain two-thirds majority in Parliament without the Chinese support.

"If Barisan makes it known that it will not assist the Chinese (for not supporting Barisan in the last GE), we are sure to lose more Chinese votes in the next GE,"
Khairy, who is youth and sports minister and BN Youth chief, said in an interview with Nanyang Siang Pau.

He said that following the May 5 GE, some BN leaders admonished Chinese voters who did not vote for the coalition.

These leaders must realise that voters have the right to choose and that they cannot blame their defeat on the Chinese.

He said that the government represents all the people and has to serve all of them, including those who do not support it.

"Like me, (as Rembau MP) I was elected by voters of different races in Rembau, I have to serve and treat all of them equally, even if some of them did not vote for me.

"We (BN) cannot say we are not going to help the Chinese because they did not vote for us. (Otherwise) It would be ludicrous. Punitive politics is wrong and bad."

Will be fair to all races?

Khairy said BN must follow through on its transformation agenda and be fair to all races.

He pointed out that the voters had given BN a second chance at GE13. If the coalition does not change, there will not be a third chance for BN come GE14.

He said BN will face many challenges, particularly in urban and Chinese-majority areas as well as some Malay constituencies.

BN needs to carry out its transformation agenda, particularly on promoting economic growth, economic transformation and overcoming national issues such as corruption, crime and living standards, within the next four years, he added.

"If you can do these and have trustworthy leaders, the rakyat will be convinced that Barisan and Umno have changed, and we will have the support of the whole rakyat, even with the bumiputra agenda, which they will understand as being a fair agenda."

Khairy admitted that Barisan will face difficulty winning the support of more urban voters but it is not impossible.

"We had won in Titiwangsa, Setia Wangsa and Putrajaya and came close to wresting back Pantai Dalam. Many believed it would be hard for BN to win urban seats. These examples (victories in Titiwangsa, Setia Wangsa and Putrajaya) are proof that we still have a chance (to win urban seats)."

The Sundaily