Report: “Nga’s unpopularity with Malay community could be PH’s downfall in KKB polls”

 

A PAKATAN Harapan (PH) leader said DAP vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming’s unpopularity with the Malay community could cost the unity government the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the leader told FMT that Nga has given Perikatan Nasional (PN) plenty of ammunition with which to attack him ahead of the polls for the state seat.

Recall that just last month, Nga had come under criticism when he accused UMNO Youth chief Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh of stoking racial and religious sentiments after the latter had insisted that he would continue the call to boycott the KK Mart convenience store chain over the “Allah” socks controversy despite calls for calm from various quarters.

Nga had also sparked outrage recently when he had proposed to nominate Chinese New Villages as UNESCO world heritage sites, which was met with backlash from the Malay community.

According to the PH leader, PN would likely play up these issues in a bid to win Malay votes in the forthcoming KKB by-election on May 11.

The Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election is being held following the death of Lee Kee Hiong, 58, on March 21 due to cancer.

On Wednesday (April 24) night, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook announced that Pang Sock Tao will be PH’s candidate for the seat.

Loke said the decision to field Pang, who is also the press secretary to Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, was finalised after considering all qualifications possessed by Pang.

(Pic credit: Bernama)

On this, the PH leader said the opposition will use Nga’s comment on the socks controversy and the Chinese New Villages proposal to attack him, and that whether or not his aide is contesting, PN will certainly use these factors to win Malay support.

Meanwhile, commenting on the strength of Indian voters in the KKB by-election, the PH leader noted that the unity government may lose the Indian vote if several key Indian parties were to integrate their campaign messaging.

“If the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP), the Malaysian Advancement Party’s P. Waytha Moorthy and Urimai’s P. Ramasamy can put together a coherent narrative, it will be a problem for us,” the leader was quoted as saying.

“With the right message, they could win most of the Indian votes.”

According to the PH leader, it would be “pointless” to seek out MIC’s help in securing Indian support despite the party’s assurance that it would campaign for the unity government’s candidate.

“The Indians have already rejected MIC on multiple occasions. I think something is wrong if the (unity government’s) leadership expects MIC to deliver Indian votes,” the leader said.

Kuala Kubu Baharu, a seat in the Selangor state assembly, has a mixed electorate, with Malay voters comprising 46%, Chinese (30%), Indian (18%) and others (5%). It has historically been represented by Chinese assemblymen. – Focus Malaysia