KJ: Don't get overconfident with bigger Chinese crowd at ceramah

TG PIAI POLLS | Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today cautioned BN against overconfidence in the Tanjung Piai by-election due to the growing Chinese crowd at ceramah organised by BN, and in particular MCA.

The Rembau MP said he is concerned by the "psywar" that DAP may wage in the final week of the campaign and there was also a need to convince Chinese voters about the Umno-PAS alliance.

"Even though we see more Chinese voters attending BN programmes but do not get too confident.

"The (BN) machinery should not be too confident as I am worried about the psywar by the DAP," he told journalists after helping BN's candidate Wee Jeck Seng on the campaign trail in Tanjung Piai today.

MCA, which has traditionally struggled to attract even a handful of people to its ceramah, saw hundreds turn up for its event in Pekan Nanas. 

While many were party members, the crowd size of 600 people was a respectable turnout compared to some 300 people who showed up at Pakatan Harapan's nearby featuring top leaders as speakers.

Khairy (photo) said BN needed to focus on Chinese areas in the final push in the by-election.

"This is to ensure the Chinese voters that minority interests will be safeguarded even though Umno and PAS are now in an alliance under Muafakat Nasional," he said.

While PAS does not have an official pact with MCA, it is in an alliance with Umno through the Muafakat Nasional and has therefore adopted a friendly approach to Umno's BN allies.

Malays make up 56.88 percent of the voters in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary seat and the Chinese comprise 41.52 percent.

While BN won the majority of Malay support during the last general election, an erosion of the Malay ground, coupled with a strong Chinese protest vote, saw BN lose the seat.

The two frontrunners in the Tanjung Piai by-election are Wee, who is contesting under BN's logo, and Bersatu's Karmaine Sardini, who will contest under Harapan's banner.

The other candidates are Berjasa's Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, Gerakan's Wendy Subramaniam and independent candidates Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.

Campaigning began last Saturday and Tanjung Piai voters will go to the polls on Nov 16.

The by-election was called after its incumbent MP, Bersatu's Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, passed away from a heart attack in September, just three weeks before his 43rd birthday. - Mkini