Gerakan Youth has urged the BN “not to sideline the Chinese community”, as not all of them vote for the DAP.

“The people who supported DAP don’t represent all Malaysian Chinese in Malaysia,” Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said in his speech at the wing’s annual general assembly (AGM) at Setia Alam today.

Tan said the recent victory of Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong ( right ) at the Teluk Intan by-election is reason why BN should not give up on the Chinese.

“(Mah’s victory) is a great achievement as in the 13th general election, Gerakan lost to DAP in Teluk Intan by 7,313 votes.

“The victory shows that DAP is not invincible in non-Malay areas. With the right candidate and strategy, DAP can be defeated!” he said.

However, he cautioned the youth wing against resting on their laurels after the Teluk Intan victory.

Mah won by a razor thin 238 votes against DAP neophyte Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.

BN made gains

Tan’s remarks comes after Prime Minister and BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak told the Chinese that they cannot “demand (for things from the government) and support DAP.”

“You cannot demand and support Pakatan Rakyat…you demand and support BN, and we will be fair to the Chinese community,” Najib reportedly said in his speech at the MCA AGM last week.

Meanwhile, Tan added that recent by-elections also show that the BN has made gains in terms of support.

“BN even managed to reduce PAS’ majority from 2,744 votes to 1,084 votes, or 61 percent in Sungai Limau, a PAS stronghold under the care of former Kedah MB Azizan Abdul Razak,” he said.

And this too, he said, was with the help of a rise in Chinese votes to BN in the constituency.

Therefore, he said, this shows talk that the Chinese only support DAP is untrue.

“That's just the perception that they want us to believe Malaysian Chinese are against BN and they hope for BN to sideline (the) Chinese. Don't fall into their trap.”