MCA made right decision to stay out of Bukit Gelugor polls, says analysts
The Malaysian Insider – 18 minutes agoRELATED CONTENT
- MCA made right decision to stay out of Bukit Gelugor polls, says analysts
MCA has made the correct move in sitting out the Bukit Gelugor by-election, given the strong anti-Barisan Nasional sentiment and voters’ attachment to the late Karpal Singh, analysts said.
Professor James Chin of Monash University Malaysia said MCA made the right decision instead of fielding a candidate against Karpal's son, Ramkarpal Singh Deo, in the DAP stronghold.
Professor James Chin of Monash University Malaysia said MCA made the right decision instead of fielding a candidate against Karpal's son, Ramkarpal Singh Deo, in the DAP stronghold.
Ramkarpal is tipped to win the May 25 by-election.
"The sympathy vote is too strong and it is not possible for MCA to win. They will be slaughtered if they go in," he said.
He said the writing is already on the wall that BN would lose if they contest, so staying out is the best "possible outcome" without wasting precious time and resources.
Although MCA's reasoning for staying out was that it preferred to concentrate on the battle against PAS’ plans to implement hudud, Chin said the excuse does not matter as people understood that the seat is unwinnable for BN anyway.
Universiti Putra Malaysia's political analyst Dr Jayum Jawan said it is better for the senior Chinese BN party to live to fight at another by-election where it would have a better chance of winning.
"It is a clear admission of defeat. To them, it is better to surrender rather than be defeated," he noted.
He commended the party for realising that they faced an uphill battle in the DAP stronghold, given that the anti-BN sentiments among the Chinese were still high.
He commended the party for realising that they faced an uphill battle in the DAP stronghold, given that the anti-BN sentiments among the Chinese were still high.
"The Chinese have abandoned MCA, and they have not done anything to regain the community’s support and the decision not to contest is an admission of this fact," said Jayum.
Jayum also believed the decision not to contest could be a strategy on the part of the Chinese party, hoping that it would earn them some goodwill from voters.
Jayum also believed the decision not to contest could be a strategy on the part of the Chinese party, hoping that it would earn them some goodwill from voters.
"The Chinese will see the party trying to be humble, who realises their weaknesses and are correcting themselves.
This is a good start for MCA to rejuvenate itself," he added.
However, political analyst Khoo Kay Peng was critical of MCA's decision, saying that the party had lost a good platform to go head-to-head with its chief rival DAP on the hotly debated hudud issue.
MCA, he said, failed to capitalise on the opportunity to grill DAP, and by extension the opposition Pakatan Rakyat pact, on its stand about the hudud issue.
Islamist party PAS, who is also a member of Pakatan, is planning to introduce the Islamic penal code in Kelantan and the move has been opposed by Chinese-based political parties.
"Does the MCA leadership have any political acumen at all? This is a huge political mistake and a bad political move. It is another nail to MCA's coffin, they should just close shop," he said.
The Bukit Gelugor Parliamentary seat has 61,112 Chinese voters, who make up about 74.5% of the electorate.
The Bukit Gelugor Parliamentary seat has 61,112 Chinese voters, who make up about 74.5% of the electorate.
The seat fell vacant after Karpal was killed in a road accident last month, along with his personal aide, Michael Cornelius.
His death triggered an outpouring of grief, with thousands of people paying their respects to one of the country's foremost legal experts, who was also famously known as the Tiger of Jelutong.
In the 13th general election last year, Karpal gained the third highest majority of 42,706, after party comrades Teresa Kok of Seputeh (51,552) and Steven Sim of Bukit Mertajam (43,063)
