PETALING JAYA, Aug 2 — The claim by Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan that Umno can go it alone in the state in the next general election has drawn flak from Barisan Nasional (BN) parties.
MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon said politics was not just about winning seats but also about ruling effectively and ensuring stability.
“The MB should be an MB for all races,” he said when commenting on Mohamad’s statement yesterday that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should consider allocating seats to only Umno and not the other BN parties.
The menteri besar had said that while Umno worked hard to deliver results in the general election, the other BN parties were unable to win anything. He said even seats won by them were in Malay-majority areas.
Chong said Malaysia was a multi-racial country which needed people of all races in government.
Gerakan national adviser Datuk Chang Ko Youn said Mohamad’s statement was irresponsible and against the BN’s best interests.
“It is arrogant of him to say what he did. This will backfire on him and Umno,” he said.
Chang said the remarks demonstrated a disconnect between Mohamad and the public.
“He does not seem to understand the sentiment of voters. Good governance is what they want, not divisive politics,” he said.
MIC Youth chief Sivarraajh Chandran said BN would not survive without the component parties working together.
“The simple fact is that we need each other to survive. No one race can hope to rule Malaysia on its own, let alone tiny Negri Sembilan,” he said in a statement.
“This is the secret and strength of the BN ruling formula. All for one, and one for all — together we are strong, and alone, we become fodder.”
Sivarraajh said Mohamad was being short-sighted in demanding that seats in the elections be only assigned to Umno.
“The reasons MIC, MCA and Gerakan were wiped out in the last general election are well known. If you don’t include them in the BN family, their votes will go to the opposition parties,” he said.
