Tuesday May 7, 2013

GE13: It was a Malaysian tsunami, says Kit Siang

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI and CHRISTINA CHIN
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has strongly condemned claims of a two-race system and a “Chinese tsunami” as factually inaccurate and politically irresponsible.

“It was a Malaysian tsunami which saw Pakatan Rakyat increasing its parliamentary seats from 82 to 89 and state seats from 197 to 230,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Kit Siang added that Pakatan won seats in areas that were previously considered Barisan Nasional strongholds and took down many of its big guns in Malay-majority areas.

He said the Opposition pact could not have done well in Johor with only Chinese support, citing his win in Gelang Patah with a 14,762 majority.

He also gave other examples such as PAS' win in Kuala Terengganu where Malays form 86% of the electorate and the defeat of Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung where 61% of voters are Malay.

Kit Siang said in Sabah, Pakatan won 12 state seats, up from just one in 2008, including five bumiputra/mixed seats of Matunggong, Kadamaian, Tamparuli, Inanam and Moyog.

“I am confident that further analysis will show that there has been a noticeable shift in support for Pakatan across the country among voters from all races,” he said.

In George Town, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the popular vote for Pakatan increased from 63% in 2008 to 66% in Penang.

He said increased support from Chinese, Malay and Indian voters had led to Pakatan candidates obtaining bigger majorities, citing DAP's Lim Siew Khim, who had doubled the winning majority in Sungai Pinang.

“Reports that only the Chinese community voted for us are not true we also won in (Malay-majority areas like) Permatang Pasir, Seberang Jaya and Permatang Pauh,” said Guan Eng, noting that 10 of the party's non-Chinese candidates had been elected as MPs and state assemblymen nationwide.

For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site

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Tuesday May 7, 2013

GE13: It was a Malaysian tsunami, says Kit Siang

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI and CHRISTINA CHIN newsdesk@thestar.com.my

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI and CHRISTINA CHIN
newsdesk@thestar.com.my