MCA: Liew’s predictions on Johor cocky

Labis MP Chua Tee Yong says the DAP's crystal-balling a possible win in Johor will not be taken seriously by BN.

PETALING JAYA: DAP’s predictions of a possible win in Johor based on the support of 35% Malay, 80% Chinese and 50% Indian voters is “arrogant” and “presumptuous”, a BN state leader said today.

Johor, the birthplace of Umno and considered Barisan Nasional’s last bastion, has been under the control of the ruling coalition since Independence.

While Pakatan barely made a dent in 2008, winning just one federal and six states out of 26 and 56 seats respectively, DAP’s Liew Chin Tong said that Johor could “fall like dominoes” in the 13th general election.

Responding to this, Labis MP Chua Tee Yong, said: “It is worrying that DAP has assumed that the Chinese and Indians in Johor have no choice but to support PKR and DAP.

“They assume that they will garner 50% of the Indian votes and at least 65% of the Chinese votes. This is very arrogant of them.”

Liew, who is Bukit Bendera MP, had listed several possible post-election scenarios in Johor, assuming Indian support for Pakatan was consistent at 50%:

• Malay support at 25%, Chinese support at 65%, Pakatan will win just one parliamentary seat in Johor;

• Malay support at 30%, Chinese support at 70%, Pakatan will win six seats;

• Malay support at 30%, Chinese support at 75%, Pakatan will win 12 seats;

• Malay support at 35%, Chinese support at 75%, Pakatan will win 16 seats;

• Malay support at 35%, Chinese support at 80%, Pakatan will win 20 seats.

But Chua, who is also Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, said that as long as the votes were not announced, no one could say for sure whether BN or Pakatan would win.

‘BN doesn’t make assumptions’

He also refused to say if there was a possibility BN could actually lose to Pakatan in Johor, stressing that he did not dare make any assumptions.

“Unlike Pakatan, we don’t assume. That’s why we still continue to work to gain the votes and confidence of the people,” said Chua.

“This is despite the fact that Johor is where BN has historically won and gained support,” he added.

He also said he would not be taking Liew’s prediction seriously, as “Pakatan’s predictions are always wrong.”

“They always come out with a lot of predictions, in the previous general election they even said Sarawak would fall to Pakatan. But the results speak for themselves.

“I don’t have to go and prove them wrong, because they prove themselves wrong all the time,” he said, chuckling.

But Chua stressed that MCA’s goal would always be to maintain, increase and win back its seats, as well as to help component parties in the 13th General Election.

“We don’t take votes for granted. We don’t say MCA will win a certain number of seats, the way DAP always does,” said Chua.

He also pointed out that Liew’s prediction that Pakatan could win Johor showed that the opposition pact trusted the electoral roll.

“All this while they have been saying the electoral roll is tainted, that the Election Commission is biased, but then they are so confident of winning!” said Chua.

“If they are so worried about fairness and cleanliness of the election, then they wouldn’t even be talking about their assumptions of winning, or how much support they can garner.”

Chua said that this proved Pakatan’s inconsistency regarding the electoral roll’s integrity.

“Pakatan is confident that they can win through the current electoral system, so this means they are using this ploy only to gain sympathy votes,” said Chua.