IN 11TH HOUR BID TO HELP BERSATU OUT OF ITS SELF-CREATED TANJUNG PIAI RUT – DAP OFFERS TO APPOINT CHIN TONG AS CHINESE REP IF PAKATAN WINS

PONTIAN –  DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party will appoint its Johor chairman as the representative for the Chinese community in Tanjung Piai if Pakatan Harapan retains the seat on Nov 16.

He said DAP will arrange for Liew Chin Tong to assist PPBM’s Karmaine Sardini if the latter wins the parliamentary by-election.

“The candidate is Malay and he has a Chinese opponent (MCA’s Wee Jeck Seng), and some of the residents may feel there could be a communication problem if they want to seek help.

“If there is anything, you can ask Chin Tong and he can help,” Lim said during a ceramah at Pekan Nanas yesterday.

“Chin Tong can call me directly on the phone,” he added in jest.

Met later, Liew downplayed Lim’s proposal for him to be the representative of the Chinese community in Tanjung Piai.

“On behalf of the federal government, we hope to develop the tourism sector in Tanjung Piai as it is near Singapore,” he said.

Liew is a senator and also the deputy defence minister.

On another matter, Lim insisted again that MCA should let go of its ownership of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC).

“It is not that the government does not want to fund Utar but politics and education must be separated.

“In fact, we have planned RM60 million funding for Utar if they (MCA) let go of their ownership,” he said.

Under the 2020 Budget, Utar will receive only RM1 million.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong had railed against Putrajaya’s decision to not set aside funds for TAR UC, saying it was grossly unfair to its 28,000 students, who come from poor families.

He said Utar had previously received RM5.5 million for development.

– FMT