Accept people’s verdict, DAP to MCA Penampang chairman

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KOTA KINABALU: DAP Sabah reminds MCA to help the people of Sabah regain its lost ground after 50 years with the Barisan National (BN).

Its secretary, Dr Edwin Bosi, urged MCA Penampang chairman Datuk Paul Kong to accept the people’s verdict in choosing PKR and DAP in Penampang and Kapayan respectively during the 13th general election.

“Datuk Paul should not belittle former Sabah MCA chairman Datuk Edward Khoo by equating his non-Penampang residency to the MCA’s loss in Kapayan. I think by raising this issue in public, the people, especially the voters in Kapayan, can see the character and quality of Datuk Paul Kong as a politician. We can almost see a power-hungry politician in the making,” he said.

Kong said during the MCA Penampang Chinese New Year open house on Saturday that the party is confident of helping BN win back the Penampang parliamentary seat in the next general election.

He said with the new leadership in MCA the people in Penampang would be voting for BN again, after losing to the opposition in the last elections.

He claimed that the main factor of BN’s loss in the previous general election was the so-called ‘wind of change’ among the Chinese community, which happened in most major cities in Malaysia.

The wind of change also blew strongly in Penampang and in addition BN’s candidate for the Kepayan state seat was not from Penampang district,” he said, apparently referring to Khoo, the candidate from MCA who contested in Kepayan last year.

Bosi added he is excited to know that MCA has big plans for Penampang and Kapayan. “I hope MCA and Datuk Paul Kong will be able to resolve the worsening traffic jam, increasing crime rate and the social problems associated with cyber cafes that we are facing in Penampang.

“I am also hoping that he (Paul) can resolve the drainage problems so that flash floods will become a thing of the past. I have raised the issue of a better-equipped Fire and Rescue Department in view of the massive development in housings, apartment and high-rise condominiums. I hope Paul would push vigorously for this,” he said in a statement yesterday

Bosi said the poor basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water in Kapayan were definitely “unbecoming” of an area so close to the city that has been administered by MCA for many terms.

The public health aspects, including rubbish collection, sewerages, drains, control of mosquitoes and stray animals must be raised up by MCA in the council.

On the political front, he said MCA must realise that Umno Penampang is also vying for the chairmanship of BN so that it will have more power and clout. Knowing Umno, the other component parties in BN will have to play second fiddle.

“MCA will never be able to stand firm against Umno. Unless MCA and Paul can stand up to Umno leaders, the people will know that it is futile to vote MCA as their representatives,” he opined.

Bosi also said DAP would assist the people in whatever way it could. There are a lot of constraints to be in the opposition but having a voice in the State Assembly is crucial to protect the people.

He said the opposition representation has since increased from one to 12. The message is very clear to BN that failure to resolve the people’s problem will see more seats falling into the hands of Pakatan Rakyat.

“I hope the people will continue to support the opposition and deny the government the two-thirds majority in the State Assembly in order to keep the government in proper “check and balance,” he added.