KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — In his Lunar New Year message, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed his hope today that the Chinese community will return to support Putrajaya.

Ahmad Zahid said the ethnic Chinese should put any political and economic problems faced last year aside, and instead support the government in order to achieve a prosperous Malaysia.

“I hope the Chinese community will return to be together with the government,” he told reporters when met after the MCA Chinese New Year open house at the party’s headquarters here.

“I hope the Year of the Monkey will be more prosperous. The political and economic problems can be resolved,” the Bagan Datoh MP added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wished a brief “Gong Xi Fa Cai”, or wishing joy and prosperity to all Malaysians before leaving the open house.

The Chinese community has previously been blamed by ruling coalition Barisan Nasional for the huge swing towards opposition votes during the last general elections.

Many leaders have also pointed fingers at the race for turning up in masses during the Bersih 4 rally in August last year.

It resulted in a red-shirt rally organised by pro-Malay groups as a retort to the purportedly Chinese-dominated Bersih rally.