Give MCA a chance, Dr Mahathir tells Kajang voters

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today urged voters in Kajang to give MCA a chance to display its mettle in the Kajang by-election.

Dr Mahathir said the people must understand that the Barisan Nasional component party was trying to make a comeback after its dismal performance in last year's general election.

“Some parties do come back.

"We should contest. Never give a walkover to anybody," said Dr Mahathir when asked if MCA stood a chance to reclaim the Kajang state seat, which fell vacant after its assemblyman, PKR's Lee Chin Cheh, resigned on Monday to make way for opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Dr Mahathir said that it was customary for BN to field a candidate in all by-elections, and saw no reason why it should not battle it out in Kajang.

"We don't care where... we contest and we should," he added.

MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai also urged voters in Kajang to reject PKR and its candidate Anwar, saying the opposition leader had brought about the by-election in order to fulfil his political ambition and his party’s agenda to take over Putrajaya.

"The people must stand against this and send a message that this is not how it works," Liow said.

He also said Anwar was using the by-election to solve PKR’s internal conflicts.

"This deliberately engineered move in calling a by-election is wrong and it's already hurting the people."

He said that PKR should instead be working to improve the financial standing of Selangor residents.

He said that MCA would soon send its candidates’ list for the Kajang seat to BN.

"This election is very important for BN and MCA and we will work together to win the seat."

The party's women's wing leader, Datuk Heng Seai Kie, who was also present, said the party had to prove it capabilities by reclaiming Kajang.

"This was our (MCA) seat before, so we will wrest it back." – January 31, 2014.