In an unprecedented move to beef up efforts to recapture Selangor in the next general election, Selangor BN has appointed MCA veteran Yap Pian Hon as its publicity chief.

yap pian hon interview 190705 explaining This is the first time that a MCA leader is taking the helm of the BN state publicity machinery, which is traditionally led by an Umno leader in all other states.

Revealing this when contacted today, Yap also expressed his surprise with the appointment, which took effect on Jan 10.

The appointment letter was issued last month by premier and BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak, in his capacity as head of Selangor BN.

“The BN now makes up the opposition in Selangor. The publicity bureau will have to collect information, analyse it, monitor the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government and expose its weaknesses,” said Yap.

"This is to let the people of Selangor understand and judge the situation, as to whether the state government puts the public interest or its political agenda first.”

Another of the bureau’s tasks is to coordinate publicity for all BN component parties and enhance information dissemination on the coalition’s transformation and reform programmes.

"The publicity that Selangor BN has generated over the past few years has been insufficient," conceded Yap, who served nine terms as a lawmaker at both state and federal levels.

He will operate from the Selangor BN headquarters based in the Umno building in Shah Alam, and will be assisted by several full-time staff.

Although his portfolio covers all BN publicity activities in the state, it is believed that Najib recruited Yap particularly to regain the Chinese community’s support for the coalition. This is seen as crucial in recapturing Selangor, which it lost in the 2008 general election.

Yap, who grew up in a Chinese new village, is well-known for his down-to-earth approach and leadership qualities.

He is still running a service centre in Serdang, his former parliamentary constituency, although he was dropped from the MCA candidacy line-up in 2008.

yap pian hon annouce contest for mca vice president post pc 260908 05 He was elected Serdang state assemblyperson for six terms from 1969 and then MP for Serdang, when the seat was upgraded, for another three terms up to 2008.

Yap was MCA vice-president for three consecutive terms from 1990-1999.

He attempted to get re-elected in 1999, 2005 and 2008 but failed each time. His tenacity in party politics has earned him the Chinese nickname of ‘cat with nine lives’.

Although sidelined by the MCA leadership, his vast experience in politics has seen him invited as panellist at various BN political forums, to share his views in garnering the support of Chinese voters.

yap pian hon annouce contest for mca vice president post pc 260908 02 MCA suffered one of its worst electoral defeats in 2008. In Selangor, it only managed to secure two of the 14 state seats and one of the seven parliamentary seats it contested.

Although Malay and Indian support now appears to be flowing back to BN, going by the outcome of recent by-elections, the anti-establishment sentiment remains strong within the Chinese community.

Close rapport with Najib

A MCA insider pointed out that Yap's close relationship with Umno national and state leaders was an important factor in landing him the job.

Their relationship goes back to 1987 when they respectively led the Youth wing of MCA and Umno. Malaysia was then embroiled in racial tensions which saw 106 politicians and activists being detained under the Internal Security Act in Operasi Lalang.

"His rapport with the Umno leadership can help to convince Umno leaders to shift their obsolete political paradigm and policies to accommodate the Chinese community’s demands, particularly in education and economy. This will benefit the community and MCA,” said the source.

yap pian hon interview 190705 relaxed Yap was tight-lipped when asked about his strategy to regain Chinese support, saying he would have to discuss this with colleagues first.

"I will meet the prime minister soon to discuss the publicity direction," he said.

Yap's appointment raised eyebrows in Selangor MCA, particularly since he has been marginalised from MCA mainstream politics for the past decade.

According to some grassroots leaders, Najib's decision to bypass younger leaders will send a negative message to MCA - that the state leadership under national vice-president Donald Lim lacks capable young leaders.

However, Yap refused to comment on this.