Don’t make demands if you don’t support BN, Najib tells Chinese
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that the Chinese could not make demands on Barisan Nasional (BN) if they continued to support Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
Speaking at the MCA’s 61st annual general assembly, Najib said BN would only be fair to the Chinese if they supported the ruling coalition instead of PR.
“I’d like to do more, maybe one day I can do more. But I also need the Chinese community to support BN. Come on. You have to do your part.
“You can’t demand and then support DAP. You can’t demand and then support PR. You demand, you support BN, we will be fair to the Chinese,” said Najib.
MCA suffered its worst defeat during the general election last year, winning only seven out of the 37 parliamentary seats and 11 of the 90 state seats it contested in the 13th general election.
The May 5 poll results prompted Najib to describe it as a “Chinese tsunami” and Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia ran a provocative story headlined “Apa lagi Cina mahu?” (What more do the Chinese want?) on its front page the following day.
However, Najib conceded that he did still “try” to be fair to the Chinese community now, despite the fact that there were only two MCA ministers in the Cabinet.
“Although there are only two MCA ministers in the Cabinet, they are playing their part to help the Chinese community.
“That’s why when (MCA president Datuk Seri) Liow Tiong Lai and (MCA deputy president Datuk) Wee Ka Siong make requests, I consider it, as the chairman of BN. I try to be fair.”
Najib also scolded the Chinese-based component party for its constant infighting, saying that it had jeopardised the selection of candidates during the general election.
“MCA, stop your infighting. Enough. (I’m) tired of MCA. Don’t fight any longer. It causes difficulty for me,” said Najib.
“Choosing a candidate is hard. They say this is the best man, best woman, but it turns out the candidate is best because he is on (your) side. The better person is not on (your) side, so you don’t propose their names.”
He pointed out that he did not know all the members of MCA, and relied on the president to present him the names of the best and most winnable candidate.
“But there are Team A, Team B and Team C, I get confused. It is problematic for me, it’s problematic for the secretary-general, BN too faces problems and even the deputy chair,” said Najib.
“We are in difficulty. So I say that the future of MCA depends on unity. If you keep fighting, people get fed up. Tired of the fighting, just like how PR fought in Selangor.
“So close ranks, unite, be stronger together. That is your theme.”
He told the party that the Chinese community had complained to him that MCA had lost its sense of direction, but he added he had hopes for the new leadership under Liow.
“Now under the leadership of Liow, and with the new MCA leadership, I’m confident MCA has (gained) that sense of direction and purpose. That’s why I want to say I will support the existing MCA, as the BN chairman.” – October 12, 2014.
