Pressure is mounting on MCA to prove itself during the Tenang by-election but the party president Dr Chua Soi Lek is confident that it is capable of increasing BN’s share of Chinese votes.

“We are confidNONEent the people will give strong support to BN candidates in Tenang and other places,” a beaming Chua told a press conference at the MCA headquarters today.

He said this when asked if MCA could increase the number of votes for BN from the Chinese community in Tenang, which largely voted PAS during the last general election.

“We cannot use the 2008 general election as a benchmark. It was a political watershed in Malaysia political history because a lot of issues were not resolved then,” he added.

In the 2008 general election, PAS made significant gains against BN for the Tenang state constituency but was unable to unseat the incumbent.

Chua said that for this by-election, voters will evaluate Pakatan Rakyat's failure to deliver on their election promises, adding that these amounted to cakap tak serupa bikin (cannot walk the talk).

“They have not delivered their promises in the four states. If you look at the election manifesto of individual parties, I would say they have not reformed. They have promised the people they will change and reform and undergo transformation but nothing has happened," he said.

azlan“It is the BN that is undergoing transformation. The only thing they (Pakatan) has transformed is their representatives and members who keep on leaving their parties.

“If the party is strong and stable, why is it that 11 (elected) representatives have left their party? None from BN so far.”

“So when people evaluate like that, we feel more confident, BN feels more confident. BN under the prime minister has delivered most of the promises we have made.”

Tenang falls under the parliament constituency of Labis, which is a MCA stronghold.

MCA former president Dr Ling Liong Sik was elected in Labis for four consecutive terms before it passed to Chua and then Chua's son, Tee Yong, who is now deputy agriculture minister.

‘Where’s the democracy?’

Chua also taunted all three Pakatan supreme leaders as they have not been elected by their respective parties.

azlan“They always tell the people that they have democracy but ... their supreme leaders are all not elected. (PKR) de facto leader (Anwar Ibrahim) is not elected, (PAS spiritual adviser) Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat is not (elected), (DAP's) Lim Kit Siang is not (elected).

“In Umno, MCA, MIC, like it or not, they will at least go through an election. And when you (PKR) have direct elections, there were elements of fraud and cheating. There were never investigated.”

Chua reminded reporters that Pakatan-held states like Penang and Kedah had banned some journalists from covering events although the coalition has claimed to uphold media freedom.

“Today in MCA we do not shout ‘press freedom’ but at least we (have) never stopped anybody from coming into this room (MCA meeting room). Everybody is invited,” said Chua.

Pakatan had barred Utusan Malaysia from attending events, accusing the Umno-owned newspaper of failing to publish balanced reports.

Umno has previously booted out Internet journalists from its annual general assembly and occasionally banned them from covering party functions.

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