Malaysia's Chinese fear losing clout after poll backlash

Enlarge Photo Ethnic Chinese are seen praying at a temple in Malaysia's northern island of Penang in...

Wed, Mar 5 10:58 AM

Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, increasingly discontented with the government, are caught in a bind ahead of Saturday's election.

"If this happens, the Chinese and Indians would be stuck," said Rita Sim, deputy chairman of the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research, a local think-tank linked to a ruling Chinese party.

"They know the opposition can't effectively resolve their problems, which require quiet policy negotiations within the BN, but the question now is do they really care anymore?"

The ruling coalition dominated by Abdullah's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has governed the country since independence in 1957. But it is facing one of its biggest political tests in years after the opposition and ethnic Indians staged large anti-government protests last November.

The coalition is considered certain to retain power in the election but its majority could drop amid rising racial and religious tensions.

"GONE FOREVER"

Discontent runs deep among the Chinese and Indians, who together form about 34 per cent of the country's 26 million people. The Chinese, who dominate the nation's economy, are also unhappy over rising business and living costs.

Their dilemma is whether to vote in a stronger opposition and risk losing their political clout in government.

The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), UMNO's Chinese partner in the coalition, has warned that Chinese could lose more Cabinet posts if they turn against the government.

"MCA used to hold the finance and trade ministry posts. But it was all lost in the 1969 election and it's now gone forever," the New Straits Times on Wednesday quoted MCA party strategist Wong Mook Leong as saying.

MCA holds only four ministerial posts in the 32-member cabinet against UMNO's 22. Some of the smaller Barisan parties hold just one cabinet post each.

"There's a feeling that the MCA, though sympathetic to the grievances of the community, can only do so much at the end of the day in the face of a continued UMNO dominance," said James Chin, a political scientist at Monash University in Malaysia.

The biggest winner in the race for Chinese votes will probably be the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is hoping to strengthen its parliamentary presence.

"The Chinese and Indian communities gave a strong mandate to Abdullah (in 2004), but they're now fed up," said Teresa Kok, a DAP candidate defending her seat in the predominantly Chinese constituency of Seputeh in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

DAP, along with the political party of sacked deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and the fundamental Islamic party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), is hoping to garner protest votes to deny Barisan its traditional two-thirds majority in parliament -- a level needed to amend the constitution.

One Chinese voter said there should be a strong opposition voice but was equally wary of the ensuing political instability.

"I feel we need a stronger opposition because the government has not really listened to us," said Chong Mui Kim, a 52-year-old property agent in Kuala Lumpur.

She said last November's anti-government protests in Kuala Lumpur drove away some of her prospective foreign clients.

"I'm very upset they pulled out. Racial trouble is the thing I worry most about."

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