KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — The MCA admits that it is the underdog in the by-election for the Balakong State assembly seat and faces a tough road in winning it.
MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said at a press conference after visiting the MCA Operations Room for the Balakong by-election that the poll would be the first test for the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party after it suffered a severe defeat in the 14th General Election (GE14) on May 9.
“The people’s sentiments are still not with us and we must work harder and have added strength to recapture the state seat.
“However, we hope the electors in Balakong will give us an opportunity to be the voice of the people in the State Assembly and act as the monitor and contribute to the check and balance element in the state,” he said.
Liow said the MCA had decided on its candidate who is a local resident. The MCA candidate is expected to face the DAP candidate for the constituency.
The state seat fell vacant after incumbent Ng Tien Chee from the DAP died in an accident.
The Election Commission has fixed the Balakong by-election simultaneously with the Seri Setia by-election on Sept 8 with nomination day fixed for Aug 18 and early voting on Sept 4.
Meanwhile, Liow pointed out that the MCA decision to use its own logo for the by-election was not because it wanted to avoid the BN’s jinx including the loss in the Sungai Kandis by-election but as a means to strengthen the party.
“The party is undergoing a phase of transformation ... the use of its own logo is certainly not related to the decision of the Sungai Kandis by-election,”he said.
Yesterday, the MCA announced that it would use its own logo for the Balakong by-election on Sept 8. — Bernama
