Wednesday February 13, 2013

‘Opposition win will affect China ties’

By NELSON BENJAMIN
nelson@thestar.com.my

BATU PAHAT: MCA is worried that Malaysia's ties with China will be affected if the new government that the opposition pact intends to form is more keen to build relations with other countries.

“I am worried because (PKR adviser) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the rest are more interested in the United States and the Middle East,” said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

He said China was the second largest economic power in the world and the Government recognised 820 degrees from universities there, adding that there were huge educational opportunities for people who could speak Mandarin.

Urging the Chinese community to continue supporting Barisan, he said the good relationship between Malaysia and China could be affected if the government was changed.

“This strong relationship is of mutual benefit to both nations, especially to Malaysia being a trading nation,” Dr Chua told reporters at the Batu Pahat MCA Chinese New Year open house here yesterday.

On the economic transformation programmes that were currently running, he said they needed the people's support to meet their objectives.

“If there is a change midway, the programmes will be in jeopardy,” he said, adding that the three parties in the opposition pact did not have a clear socio-economic plan for the country.

He criticised the opposition's populist policies, saying they only raised issues to distract and divert the rakyat's attention from their incompetencies.

“The reality is that if they come to power, the country will be bankrupt in two years,” said Dr Chua.

He also reminded the Chinese that the three parties in the opposition pact had not stopped “quarrelling and arguing” over the Allah issue and had also not decided on who will be prime minister as the PAS Syura Council had rejected Anwar.

“So, the DAP should not mislead the Chinese by talking about Anwar (as prime minister-in-waiting),” he said, adding that the Chinese must accept and understand the political reality that the DAP was only dominant in Penang while it was in the minority in other places.

Dr Chua, who is from Johor, said the DAP was expected to just contest 15 seats in the 56-seat state assembly while PAS could contest as many as 32.

He said the Chinese should not be hoodwinked by the DAP, which had been calling for change, when it was not the dominant party in the opposition pact.

News

Wednesday February 13, 2013

‘Opposition win will affect China ties’

By NELSON BENJAMIN nelson@thestar.com.my

By NELSON BENJAMIN
nelson@thestar.com.my