Ka Chuan: Don't split your votes

Loong Meng Yee / The Star Newspaper / 8 Mar 2008
 

SLIM RIVER: Voters should not split their votes by giving those for parliamentary seats to the Barisan Nasional and those for state seats to the opposition or vice versa, MCA party secretary-general Datuk Ong Ka Chuan said.

"The parliament and state representatives work as a team. They bring different types of services to the constituencies. If they are not from the same party, work can be affected," he said.

Ong, the Tanjung Malim Barisan Nasional parliamentary seat candidate, said it was important for Barisan Nasional to secure strong support both at the federal and state levels.

He added that state representatives worked with the respective Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers. The state government had control over land matters and revenue from state resources.

"Parliamentary representatives make the problems known to the Federal Government. The Government has the power over national concerns such as health and community welfare.

"Therefore, if the Members of Parliament and the state representatives are all from the same party, the co-operation will be smoother and this will benefit the people," said Ong at the Barisan operations centre in Rasau village here on Thursday evening.

Earlier, at a dinner attended by 14 Chinese associations' representatives, Ong said: "While others were badmouthing us, we were working hard to make sure the community was looked after within the concept of power-sharing with the other races.

"These people, they shout and call us all kinds of names. But where is the proof? After creating a ruckus, they move on. But it is MCA who sticks with the community and delivers results.

"We are the ones who negotiate for more Chinese schools; fight for the development of new villages; obtain better assistance for the small and medium-scale industries; and to make sure the Chinese continue to have their place under the Malaysian sky," he said.

"Shouting and banging tables have never been our style because it is useless. What is the point of such rudeness when we need to sit down and negotiate with the other leaders the next day? MCA cannot, and will not, walk the confrontation way," said Ong.