Yoursay: Tanjung Piai a referendum on Mahathir’s leadership

YOURSAY | ‘This by-election will be a barometer for the PM’s popularity.’

Large crowd shows Jeck Seng still has clout

Kim Quek: There is little doubt that MCA and DAP have swapped their positions in terms of election crowds. The enthusiastic crowd in the MCA rally in Tanjung Piai is what we saw in a DAP rally before GE14.

In the eyes of the Chinese electorate, DAP has now assumed the role played by MCA under BN, subservient and abdicating the constitutional rights of the Chinese.

And they reckon, rightly, that the best way to send this message to DAP is to vote for MCA. They hope this will cause some changes in the right direction.

They are, of course, heartbroken when they see their beloved party DAP sinking lower and lower in the Pakatan Harapan coalition under the iron-fisted rule of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is taking the country in a direction totally different from that promised to them.

I foresee this pattern of voting by the Chinese electorate will continue, and even intensify, for future by-elections as long as the status quo of Harapan rule continues.

Strighttalk: This by-election is looking more like a referendum of sorts on the PM and it is not surprising given the way he has been doing things.

If voters do not vote for Harapan, it is not so much they are against Harapan, and if they vote for MCA-Umno-PAS, it is not so much that they believe that BN has really changed.

Perhaps it is time for the younger set of voters to vote Gerakan to support the fielding a younger candidate with a pleasant personality rather than the rest of the oldish, recycled candidates who will probably retain their old habits and behaviour once voted in.

Indeed, the future of this country rest with younger, more progressive and better-educated leaders.

Lionking: How could one support BN or any of its component parties who were all accomplices to the world’s biggest scandal?

Surely the Chinese are not naive. Bring back Umno and PAS, then probably the non-Malays will learn the hard way.

Some of their leaders are facing corruption charges and we must be idiots to even think of giving them a chance.

Apollos: No, the Chinese are not ignorant/naive or stupid. Losing this one seat will not cause the government to fall. I rather lose this seat than lose the next GE.

We are telling Harapan not to take our votes for granted.

David Teoh: I am a staunch DAP supporter over the past 30 years. However, some DAP members of parliament had become conceited. In order for them to hear the wake-up call, I urge voters in Tanjung Piai to vote for the BN candidate.

It is also a way to show our authoritarian leader, Mahathir, that we don’t support his Bersatu candidate.

Who knows, it might force him to keep to his promise to agree to hand over power to PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Anonymous54: I don't know if the call to vote the opposition has any merit at all. My take is a win for the MCA candidate will embolden the Umno-PAS alliance - with MCA in tow - to go for the jugular.

With the Malay dignity issue being played to the hilt, it may just tilt the balance in Umno-PAS’ favour.

Besides, it may accelerate the formation of a backdoor government comprising Umno-PAS and Mahathir's Bersatu. That is assuming that talks on the ground of a backdoor government being formed are to be taken at face value.

I opined there are better means to send a strong signal to Mahathir than ensuring that its candidate loses the by-election. The calls by commentators here to vote the opposition is certainly bewildering.

Proarte: It is a no-brainer that the Bersatu candidate must be rejected because Bersatu is a stumbling block to the realisation of 'New Malaysia'.

Rejecting Bersatu will strengthen PKR and DAP, and this by-election will be a barometer for the PM’s popularity.

If Bersatu does badly and loses, it will make it easier to convince Mahathir to step down and hand over the reins to Anwar.

Malaysian-United: "While admitting that he voted for Pakatan Harapan during the last general election, Tan (Chai Huat, a Tanjung Piai resident) said DAP has been controlled by Bersatu on recent issues, and he is very disappointed by that."

The Chinese believe the DAP is controlled by Bersatu and therefore will not vote Bersatu's candidate, but the Malays claim Bersatu is controlled by DAP and likewise will not vote Bersatu's candidate.

So in the event Bersatu loses Tanjung Piai, it will not be Bersatu's fault but DAP's fault. As long as Mahathir remains in Harapan, DAP's fate is sealed.

Apanakdikato: Every vote for the opposition in Tanjung Piai is a vote for Mahathir to step down. Harapan has become non-functional because of the hidden Malay agenda of Mahathir and Bersatu.

I doubt very much that Harapan has the capacity, competency and integrity to transform the country into an economic "tiger".

All the rakyat have seen in the last two years since Harapan took over the helm of the government is that the country has turned into a "paper tiger".

New Hope As a Malaysian: To be fair, Mahathir did deliver a more balanced message at the Malay Dignity Congress and lots of racial and religious sentiment were driven by Umno and PAS which Harapan failed to effectively contain and counterargue, which no doubt is disappointing.

I just hope that Mahathir has the political wisdom to do it right this time.

Salvage Malaysia: How the tide has turned. In barely two years, many are now hoping that Bersatu not only loses but be trounced in this by-election as a referendum to all the nonsense from Mahathir and his gang.

If Mahathir doesn’t repent, he will end his legacy probably in a very bad way. - Mkini