JOHOR BARU, March 18 — Incumbent Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong is unfazed by Pakatan Harapan’s candidate announcement for the federal seat in the upcoming general election.

The MCA deputy president said that he believes voters will be pragmatic and choose a candidate that works for them and not one who does not have time to serve constituents.

"In the past, the voters had a very high hope of change, but every election is a time for change for the Opposition.”

"Johoreans like to see their MPs from time to time and some of them have been left disappointed by them (from the Opposition) because they hardly serve their constituencies,’ he said to reporters after attending the party’s "Support MCA, Strengthen Team Johor” event held at the Taman Johor Jaya multipurpose hall in Johor Baru.

Around 5,000 people, who were mostly state division members, attended the event which began at 2pm and ended at 5pm.

Participants also chanted "For our country and home, we will fight” several times towards the end of the event.

Wee said the party was not going to take things for granted, even though signs from his constituency showed encouragement among voter sentiment towards MCA.

"I don’t know much about this Malay tsunami as people claimed but at least in my constituency, I know my voters well and they are with us.

"I can feel their pulse as voters from all backgrounds and I am confident they are matured enough to make the right decision when the time comes,” Wee said.

Earlier today, DAP’s Johor chairman and incumbent Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong was announced as a candidate for the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat.

DAP is the first party from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Opposition pact to announce its candidates for the 14th general election.

Wee also said some of the trivial matters people took for granted were road and lighting repairs, issues which matter to voters.

"Do not underestimate the daily issues, even though it is small and we have been providing our best assistance in our constituencies to solve these issues for them all these while,” he said.

When asked about critics and political analysts claiming MCA would be the biggest loser in Johor this GE14, Wee said he was not surprised that the sentiment has been promoted widely by the Opposition.

"I do not want to forecast the percentage of votes we will gather but there is definitely positive signs,” he said.

Meanwhile, MCA party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said MCA was unfazed by the challenge laid out by the PH.

"We won’t let the people of Johor to be bullied by PH as a lot of promises made by them were left unfulfilled since 2008 and they cannot be relied on as the coalition often clashed with its own.

"They have gotten arrogant and their claims to eliminate MCA from the political field is aimed at playing with the emotions of the people,” Liow said.

He said the party was well aware that Liew did not perform his duties as a elected representative after the latter did not raise any issues pertaining to double railway tracks that was passing through Kluang town during his term as an elected representative.

"We had to wait for our local MCA leaders to raise the issue and as far as I am concerned he being the MP had not forward to the Transport Ministry even though he sees me all the time in Parliament.

"There were a lot of objections from the town people because they wanted the tracks raised from the ground with pillars and I directed my officers to resolve the issue immediately,” he said.

He said Liew dared not face the people in Kluang because he was running away from unresolved issues there and he was being chased out for neglecting his responsibilities.

"We are confident that with the support have here (in Johor), we will be able to defend our seats and I am confident the people of Ayer Hitam would be with Wee as he has provided the best services to his constituency.

"More importantly, everyone in BN is united because harmonisation is practiced among the component parties and i hope under continued BN rule, Johor will flourish,” he said.