Focus Malaysia:
Ramasamy: With or without Akmal’s toxicity, Chinese are beginning to get disillusioned with Madani gov’t
By Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy
UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Mohamad Akmal Saleh is correct in stating that the low voter turnout among the Chinese in the Sungai Bakap by-election had nothing to do with him personally.
In that by-election, the PKR candidate lost due to a low turnout from non-Malay voters, particularly the Chinese. Indian voters, traditionally strong supporters of the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition, also broke ranks by casting their votes for the opposition.
Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong has suggested that the low turnout of Chinese voters in the Mahkota by-election may have been influenced by inflammatory comments made by Akmal, particularly his attacks on DAP vice-chairman Teresa Kok.
Kepada Liew Chin Tong
Di PRK sungai bakap pon pengundi cina xkeluar mengundi,adakah itu juga salah dr akmal saleh?? Walaupun dr akmal tiada di sungai bakap?
Sepatutnya tanya pemimpin kamu yang keluarkan kenyataan yang mengganggu gugat ketenteraman negara bukan salahkan orang yang respon dengan kenyataan pemimpin kamu!
...See moreHowever, contrary to popular opinion, Liew believes the Chinese voter turnout in the Mahkota by-election was not as low as reported, estimating it to be around 50%.
While other political analysts reported turnout figures closer to 34%-35%, Liew’s claim of 50% seems exaggerated and raises questions about how he arrived at this figure.
As the state DAP chief, Liew who may feel guilty about the low turnout could have inflated the numbers to deflect criticism that DAP leaders failed to mobilise their traditional Chinese support base which makes up around 36% of the electorate.
Indian voter turnout in Mahkota was also low. The advocacy group Urimai played a significant role in convincing Indian voters to withhold support for the UMNO candidate.
Urimai’s leaders in Johor conducted extensive outreach efforts to discourage Indian support for UMNO while MIC, the party traditionally representing Indian interests, proved ineffective in mobilising voters.
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy (wearing yellow flower garland) has personally led Urimai (United Rights of Malaysian Party) to discourage Indian support for UMNO during the Sept 28 Mahkota by-election
The low Chinese voter turnout in Mahkota primarily affected DAP’s traditional support base. Before the polling day, poison pen letters were distributed, urging Chinese voters not to support the UMNO candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah who is also the Kluang UMNO Youth chief.
Some DAP leaders in Johor blamed the opposition, Perikatan Nasional (PN) for this but it became evident that dissatisfaction with the UMNO candidate stemmed from DAP supporters and not opposition forces.
From observations, it seems that the Chinese voters who did show up were largely MCA members and supporters. This explains why MCA may have had a greater influence on the Chinese electorate in Mahkota, many of whom ultimately voted for the UMNO candidate. 😂😂😂
Liew who is also the International, Trade and Industry Minister should not take credit for this as DAP’s role in convincing Chinese voters to support Umno was limited.
While Akmal’s inflammatory speeches may have played a part in angering Chinese voters during the Mahkota by-election, their dissatisfaction with the Madani government and UMNO had already been evident, particularly in the Sungai Bakap by-election.
Even without Akmal’s offensive remarks, Chinese voter turnout would likely have remained low. The Chinese community’s frustration with UMNO has been long-standing.
Instead of engaging in political rhetoric about the Madani government, DAP leaders like Liew should focus on understanding the root causes of Chinese voter disillusionment in Mahkota and beyond.
The dissatisfaction of the Chinese community with the PH-BN coalition began during the Sungai Bakap by-election shows no signs of abating. – Oct 2, 2024
Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
No comments:
Post a Comment