Umno VP: Returning Malay support will offset Chinese vote loss

comments     Yusof Ghani     Published     Updated

The Barisan Nasional government expects to lose some Chinese Malaysian support, but the return of Malay Malaysians to the Umno fold will make up for it, an Umno leader projected.

Party vice-president Muhammad Muhd Taib said the scenario for the next general elections expected next year although it is not due until end of 2004 will be different from that of 1999 where BN had to rely on Chinese Malaysian voters to regain victory when many of its traditional Malay Malaysian supporters defected to the opposition.

Muhammad said the BN leadership was aware of recent controversial issues affecting the ethnic Chinese, such as the switch to teaching Maths and Science in English, which allegedly affected mother-tongue education, and the suspension of two MCA state assembly representatives for breaching BN discipline.

"Although the government is aware that the decision on the language switch would not go down well with the Chinese community, the damage is not to the extent that it could become a 'political suicide' to the ruling party," said Muhammad in an interview with malaysiakini at his house yesterday.

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