PKR strategist Tian Chua has come under fire for accusing Barisan Nasional of resorting to money politics and claiming that poor people are more susceptible to bribes.

Seeing red over this statement, Federal Territory PPP chairperson A Chandrakumanan called on the opposition politician to apologise to BN as well as the voters in Bagan Pinang.

suhakam suara keadilan 250309 tian chua "Chua ( right ) should accept the reality that Pakatan Rakyat lost and it is shameful for him to say that in rural areas, people are move vulnerable and could be easily influenced by money," he said in a statement.

Chandrakumanan also asked if the PKR leader could prove his allegations, failing which the latter should be hauled to court.

The PPP leader was responding to a Malaysiakini report yesterday which quoted Chua on the issue of why non-Malay voters had turned their backs on Pakatan during Sunday's by-election.

Among others, he had said: "Usually in rural areas, the people are more susceptible to BN's money politics. However, it has been proven that such tactics do not work in urban areas."

"It is not race but rather the social economics of the people. The poorer ones are less educated and more susceptible to material gains and intimidation."

Accept the defeat

However, Chandrakumanan said the PKR leader should accept the fact that BN is working hard and that the voters are aware of this.

Furthermore, he said that the people have accepted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's 1Malaysia concept as well.

The PPP leader said the people realise that Pakatan parties are not doing much for them and are only interested in internal squabbles and badmouthing BN.

NONE "If Pakatan won the by election, he (Chua) would have said the people voted for change but now he is like a sore loser, and has the cheek to say the people are susceptible to material gains.

"What does the opposition think about people in rural areas? Does it think they are so cheap that they will bend over backwards for money?" he asked.

Yesterday, PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub admitted that Pakatan was not doing enough for the Indian community while the Chinese were fed up with the infighting.

In the Bagan Pinang by-election, BN's Isa Samad trounced PAS' Zulkefly Mohamad Noor with a majority of more than 5,000 votes.

In an immediate reaction, Chua said he sees no need to apologise for an opinion based on his analysis of the situation in Bagan Pinang.

"Is there a problem if I say 'women and children are more vulnerable to crime and rape and therefore we need to take precautions against this'?

"Isa was (found guilty) of money politics and punished by the Umno disciplinary board. What more proof do we need?"