MCA Has Not Betrayed Chinese For Political Gain, Says Ka Ting

PETALING JAYA, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- The MCA, a component of the Barisan Nasional (BN), has neither neglected the needs of the Chinese community nor betrayed it for securing its political position, party president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said Tuesday night.

He dismissed as baseless an allegation by the DAP that the MCA had compromised the interests of the Chinese community for the party's political interests.

He also said that DAP's labelling of the MCA as a traitor of the Chinese community was intentionally done to woo the Chinese votes in the constituencies the opposition party is contesting in the March 8 general election.

"That's the opposition for you. They have a track record of labelling the MCA as traitor of the community to fish for votes, manipulate facts and make wild accusations. I am convinced that the Chinese voters are wise enough to evaluate the actual situation," he told reporters after a series of ceramah (talk) in the Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary constituency in support of the BN candidate Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.

Incumbent Chew is challenged by Tony Pua Kiam Wee of the DAP in what political analysts assume to be a tough contest. Chew has been the elected representative there for two terms.

Ong said that for example, the MCA had assisted the Chinese community in getting new Chinese schools or relocated Chinese schools in areas with a large Chinese community besides obtaining government scholarships for outstanding Chinese students to pursue further studies.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, via the Prime Minister's Special Fund, had channelled allocations totalling almost RM30 million in stages since 2004.

"Furthermore, recently the Public Service Department had advertised in Chinese newspapers the availability of 2,300 PSD scholarships for Chinese students," he said.

This clearly showed that the MCA championed the rights of the Chinese community in the country in the context of a multiracial community with every need discussed within the government.

Earlier, in his ceramah, Ong asked the Chinese voters to support BN candidates.

-- BERNAMA