Anwar assured of Chinese votes

FMT News, 8 February 2014

K Pragalath

The only concern is the turnout on polling day, says a former Kajang assemblyman. 

 

KAJANG: Kajang Chinese will continue to support Pakatan Rakyat, according to community leaders here, including the previous two assemblymen for the constituency.

Lee Kim Sin, who was the assemblyman between 2008 and 2013, said his only concern was to ensure a good turnout of voters on polling day.

Kim Sin and his successor Lee Chin Cheh, who are both PKR members, have lost no time in wooing Chinese support for the party since the latter vacated the Kajang seat on Jan 27 to force the March 23 by-election.

“We are confident of the Chinese community’s support,” Kim Sin told FMT last night.

“We are only concerned about the voter turnout since the Chinese here know that the result will not lead to a change in government.”

He said he was working on the ground to overcome the problem.

Chin Cheh meanwhile acknowledged that the party was initially worried that his resignation, coming so soon after the general election in May last year, might have a negative impact on the voting trend.

He said he had been explaining the reasons for the sudden decision and “so far the response from the Chinese community has been good”.

Chin Cheh was one of the speakers last night at a community gathering in Taman Prima Saujana here.

In the speech, he acknowledged the community’s dissatisfaction with the performance of the Kajang municipal council (MPKJ), but he told his audience he was confident that Anwar Ibrahim, the Pakatan candidate in the by-election, would be able to set things right.

“I have not been able to resolve the problems at MPKJ,” he said. “The council president and council members haven’t met for months.

“However, Kajang people are lucky because Anwar will solve these problems.”

Education

The leader of a Chinese association who wished to remain anonymous told FMT Anwar’s victory was certain.

“It is now just a matter of the vote margin,” he said.

Selangor Lion Dance Association chairman Chin Sin Pang agreed. “The Chinese will support Anwar,” he said.

Frankie Chan, who heads the Old Boys Association of the Semenyih Chinese primary school, said Barisan Nasional had not endeared itself with the community with an Education Ministry regulation that had worsened the problem of teacher shortage in Chinese schools.

“They made it a regulation that teachers in primary schools must be university graduates. Do you think a graduate would want to teach in a primary school?”

He said the school in Semenyih had been short of teachers for 18 years.

Last night’s gathering was attended by representatives of 80 groups, mostly trade associations and educational organisations.

Dong Zong, an influential national group of educationists, has its headquarters in Kajang. One of its representatives submitted a memorandum to Anwar when he arrived at the gathering.

There are 38,965 registered voters in Kajang, with the Chinese representing 41%. Malays make up 48% and Indians 10%.