DAP has asked if Malacca Chief Minister Idris Haron was attempting to score points for the coming Umno party elections in suggesting the closure of the popular Jonker Walk night market.

“(The closure) can serve three objectives. (One of them is) to make Idris Haron an instant hero and top vote-getter in the Umno party elections at the end of the year.

NONE “Idris is probably trying to pick a leaf from (former Malacca chief minister) Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, who some 30 years ago became an instant hero by getting the highest votes in the elections for the Umno supreme council, because of his proposal to demolish the ancient Bukit Cina cemetery grounds,” DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said in a statement today.

The other two objectives in closing the popular street market, Lim mused, are to punish Malaccans for not voting for BN in the recent 13th general election, as well as a continuation of the  Chinese-bashing rhetoric of “ Apa Lagi Cina Mahu ?” (What more do the Chinese want?) initiated by Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia .

'Cutting the nose to spite the face'

Lim said the state government's claim that Jonker Walk was among the causes of traffic snar l leading up to the Ayer Keroh toll plaza and hence needed to be solved, was “utterly baseless”.

“Like the 'Save Bukit Cina' campaign three decades ago, the 'Save Jonker Walk' is not a Malaccan issue, but a national and even international issue, affecting not just the Chinese, but all Malaysians regardless of race or religion.

“This is because Jonker Walk is undoubtedly an international tourist attraction and what Idris is trying to do is nothing less than 'cutting the nose to spite the face',” he added.

NONE He said it was clear BN's “national retaliation plan”, beginning with Jonker Walk, was targeted at Malays as well.

The shutdown of the state's Chempaka Ramadan market following the defeat of then Batu Katil MP Mohd Ali Rustam, was evidence of that claim, he said.

The Malacca government's decision to shut down the historic city's popular weekend night market was described as "political retaliation against Chinese voters" who backed the opposition in the May 5 general election.

Idris had reportedly argued that the decision passed by the Malacca executive council on June 12 to close the night market - which has been attracting tourists for 13 years – followed the intention of the people since they supported DAP.

The opposition party, Idris recalled, had protested against the state government's decision to cordon off Jonker Street from road users to make way for the night market when the idea was first mooted.