So what’s new, BN leaders tell ‘disappointed’ Zaid

Umno and MCA say Zaid Ibrahim's experience with DAP proves what BN has been saying all the while about the opposition party.

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders wasted no time before ridiculing the opposition coalition, specifically DAP, after the party came under fire from Zaid Ibrahim for going back on its word to offer a seat for him at the coming polls.

Umno Supreme Council member Nazri Aziz said Zaid’s attack against his party was proof that DAP was “anti-Malay”, adding that the former Kelantan MP should have realised it earlier.

“We all know DAP is a Chinese party. Only he didn’t know earlier. I feel really sad for him,” Nazri told FMT.

“It’s proven that he’s not an asset to any party.”

In a blog posting today, Zaid said DAP had once offered him to stand in Gelang Patah, the seat where DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang won in the last polls and which has since been renamed Iskandar Puteri following the recent redelineation.

But Zaid said the party went back on the promise, offering instead Bentong, a Malay-majority in which MCA defeated DAP in 2013.

“The problem with MCA was that they became too compliant and submissive in their relationship with Umno, and that’s why they lost the support of the Chinese. I am now equally convinced that the arrogance of the DAP leadership will never secure them deep Malay support. Somewhere in between lies the right balance that I was trying to find,” Zaid wrote.

MCA said it was not surprised by Zaid’s criticisim of DAP, adding that the opposition party had a history of “on-and-off” relationships with Malay leaders, including Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim.

“They can’t accommodate Malays, especially ones who were opinionated and had a big personality,” said MCA publicity spokesman Ti Lian Ker, adding that Zaid’s description of DAP as “arrogant” fitted its “DNA”.

Ti said DAP was willing to work with Dr Mahathir Mohamad only because it needed the former prime minister to get Malay support, but said even that relationship would not last long.

“They (DAP) did it with PAS, they can do it again,” he said, in an apparent reference to DAP’s fallout with PAS.

Nazri meanwhile said Zaid’s experience with DAP was a message to other Malays not to cooperate with the party and its allies in Pakatan Harapan.

“Whoever works with them is working against Malay unity. So best not to vote them, PKR, PPBM, Amanah.

“Because they are working with DAP to weaken Malay representation in the government,” he added. -FMT