TELUK INTAN Chinese voters, especially those with successful businesses, who choose DAP are "ingrates", Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

According to the home minister, this is because they are abandoning Malays and Indians who contributed to their wealth.

"I will be sad if the people of Teluk Intan choose DAP again. The Malays will be sad, and Indians even sadder.

"It is fine for the Chinese as they are traders, but what will happen if the Malays and Indians do not support the Chinese traders by not buying their goods. They can't survive either.

"So the Malays and Indians support the Chinese traders... They become successful, and vote for DAP. They are ingrates, right?" he said, posing a rhetorical question to the audience.

The audience, made up of community leaders at Kampung Durian Sebatang in Teluk Intan, answered in the affirmative.

Zahid ( left ) said by voting for DAP, these wealthy Chinese traders were turning their backs on Malays and Indians who now need help.

He did not elaborate on how the Chinese voting for DAP would mean that Malays and Indians would not get the help they need.

However, he said that under the BN cooperation model, all races would work together to develop the region to benefit all.

"Today Malays, Indian and Chinese unite and develop the Hilir Perak region by choosing BN candidate Mah Siew Keong...

"Yes, I am Malay but Malays, Chinese and Indians are all part of a big family, 1Malaysia," Zahid said.

‘Projects already part of the budgets’

The minister spoke at a meet-the-local-leaders ceremony organised by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd (SPNB), in which offer letters to buy houses were given out to 10 local residents whose houses in Kampung Terengganu were burnt down five years back.

Zahid said at a press conference later that it is appropriate for his colleagues to announce development projects as the projects were already part of the budgets.

“The budges are already allocated into their ministries, I think this is a matter of announcing, and I think this is appropriate to announce this during (this polls) period,” he said when asked about the controversial election promises by several ministers.

“Even if there were no by-election, they would have to come here to announce,” he said.

When asked about the ministers using their government positions to campaign for the BN candidate, Zahid was unhappy that such questions were posed to BN.

“DAP did the same in the Bukit Gelugor (by-election). Who manages the government in Penang? The state executive councillors are also using their positions to campaign for the candidates. And now, you are asking the BN candidate,” he said.

The DAP’s strategy to put a Malay candidate to attract Malay votes has failed as the open opposition to hudud by its candidate Dyana Sofia Mohd Daud has angered the Malays, he said.

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