While the Barisan Nasional ponders hard on the significant swing by Chinese voters during the Ijok by-election towards the opposition, veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang believes he has the answer.

He said Chinese voters in Ijok were not convinced that the current administration treated them as equals among Malaysians.

Based on results from Pekan Ijok polling centre during the April 28 by-election, political analysts estimate that Chinese votes towards the opposition could have swung as high as 20 percent. [Click here for the complete results]

It is suggested that two other polling centres in Batang Berjuntai also showed a significant swing in Chinese votes towards the opposition. [Click here for the official results according to voting streams]

In the hotly contested Ijok by-election, Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidate Khalid Ibrahim lost to Barisan Nasional's K Parthiban by a 1,850 vote majority amidst allegations of election irregularities and phantom voters .

Prime Minister and BN chairperson Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday asked for answers on the perceived vote swing - particularly from BN coalition partners MCA and Gerakan.

In a statement released yesterday, Lim expressed surprised that Abdullah was oblivious of the Chinese voter sentiment shown during the heated by-election.

Other than turning to grouses of Chinese voters highlighted by DAP leaders, Lim said Abdullah should also take cue from the speech by the Perak crown prince Raja Nazrin Shah.

In his speech on Apr 3, 2007 titled "Prospects and Challenges for Nation Building", Raja Nazrin highlighted seven guidelines towards successful nation building.

"Malaysians of all races, religions and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun," said Raja Nazrin in his speech.

Nation building comes first

Lim said that a significant amount of Chinese voters in Ijok had voted the opposition because they were not convinced "beyond a shadow of a doubt" that they had an equal place under the Malaysian sun.

"Can Abdullah expect MCA and Gerakan leaders to tell him the truth now, when they had been hiding the truth all these years and decades from Umno leaders for their political survival in BN?" asked Lim.

He added that it would be 'most unfortunate' if BN were not prepared to re-examine nation-building policies affecting Malays and Indians in Ijok just because of the majority support received from these two communities.

"There are deep-seated and legitimate grievances and discontents among both these communities which must not be ignored and neglected if the government is serious in wanting to build a united, strong, harmonious and competitive Bangsa Malaysia," said Lim, who is also Parliamentary opposition leader.

During the Ijok by-election, BN were able to marginally regain the Malay votes lost during the 2004 general election and maintained their standing among the Indian community there who voted overwhelmingly towards the ruling party.

Similarly, the Machap by-election early last month also saw a five percent swing in the Chinese votes towards the opposition.

MCA admits unhappiness

MCA president Ong Ka Ting was quoted in the New Straits Times today as saying that the swing of some Chinese votes in Ijok was a result of unhappiness with the service of the previous assemblyman as well as several sensitive national issues.

"There were also some rumblings on national issues," he said, adding that some voters had expressed unhappiness over statements made by "some leaders" which they considered hurtful.

"We got this feedback although we had explained that the implementation of policies is based on collective decision-making with a multiracial perspective and not on certain statements by individuals.

"However, they did not accept our explanation," he was quoted as saying.