Racial Campaign by BN’s ‘Bankrupt Politicians’ in Klang

BN Lambasted for Racial Campaign in Klang
Malaysiakini

Voters in Klang were reminded not to fall for dangerous racial sentiments played up by the ruling BN coalition in the run-up to the general election.

The voters were told that these race tactics were only used by “bankrupt politicians” who wanted to divide the voters.

DAP’s Klang candidate Charles Santiago, challenging BN’s Ch’ng Toh Eng in a straight fight for this parliamentary seat, said politicians and voters alike should look beyond skin colour.

Talking to a crowd of about 300 people last night in Klang’s Bandar Botanic, Santiago lambasted his opponent from MCA for embarking on a “Chinese vote for Chinese” campaign.

“Those who used the race card are a bankrupt politician,” added the social activist turned politician.

He told the gathered crowd that as a pure ‘anak Malaysia’, he has served marginalised people from all the main races to even indigenous people like the Kadazans and Ibans, in his days as an NGO activist.

He added that he represented a new generation of leaders that have gone beyond the issue of race.

Santiago said there were more fundamental issues that needed to be addressed immediately in Klang, issues such as rights for water, land, good local governance, vernacular schools and the crime rate in Klang.

The ceramah was organised by DAP and included speakers such as Teresa Kok, who is defending her Seputeh parliamentary seat as well contesting the Kinrara state seat.

Another person who also spoke at the ceramah was son of a prominent MIC leader Ishwar Nahappan, who had joined DAP last month.

The contest in Klang is expected to be a close one with both the first time candidates lunging it out to win the hearts of the 77,816 voters in the seat. BN-MCA won this seat comfortably in 2004 through Dr Tan Yee Kew with a 13,281 majority.

Klang is a Chinese-majority seat (47.1 percent) with Malays constituting some 33.5 percent of the voters and Indians the remaining 18.6 percent.

There are three state seats under this Klang parliamentary seat - Pelabuhan Klang, Pandamaran and Kota Alam Shah. Pelabuhan Klang sees a straight fight between BN-Umno and PKR, while in Pandamaran BN-MCA and DAP will face off.