JOHOR MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek today said the act of caretaker Penang Chief Minister's wife Betty Chew to go bald to protest against money politics is nothing more than a gimmick.

NONE "I think it is just all political gimmick imported from Taiwan.

"Of course this can provoke the emotion of a lot of people but if you ask our reverend, it is the wrong way to shave your head if you go to a temple.

"Because you must go through a proper ceremony. You cannot simply go and shave your head bald in a temple and say that you have made a vow," he said during a press conference in Gelang Patah this afternoon.

"You are abusing a religious institution for your own political gain," Chua ( left ) stressed.

Citing a photo of Chew shaving her head , which appeared on the front page of a Chinese daily today, Chua said it was an attempt to gain sympathy and publicity.

Asked why the act was against religious rules, Chua replied that the reporters should refer to experts on Buddhism.

'This is politics based on race'

He was speaking at the building of Malaysian Buddhist Association Johor Chapter, after visiting the association with BN's Gelang Patah candidate Abdul Ghani Othman.

NONE On BN's campaign in Johor, Chua said DAP has been successful in stirring up the emotion and anger of Chinese voters but it has also united the Malays and Indians under BN.

He accused the opposition of bringing in racial politics that has disrupted the long-standing moderate politics in Johor.

“One must not forget in a multiracial country, if you provoke the Chinese, the Chinese feel very agitated, the other races can also feel agitated... I would say that the Malays and Indians in Johor are very united, united for BN.

“And you see that everywhere all DAP candidates are unable to go to a Malay area. Before this they could, PAS could still bring them in, but now PAS also cannot even bring them in, and that's bad.

NONE “That is very divisive politics. That is politics based on race which is bad.”

Both Chua and Ghani were invited by the association to attend a meet-and-greet session there.

Besides Ghani's son and daughter,  his son-in-law and daughter-in-law who are non-Malays, as well as his grandson, were also at there as part of his campaign team ( above ).

55 more sacrifice locks in protest

Today another 55 DAP leaders, candidates, members and supporters also joined in the campaign to protest against money politics by shaving their heads at a temple at Gelang Patah.

These included deputy national organising secretary Vincent Wu, Johor DAP Wanita chief Ng Siam Luang, state youth chief and Mengkibol candidate Tan Hong Pin, Pekan Nenas candidate Yeo Tun Siong and Pengkalan Rinting candidate Cheo Yee How.

Some female members shed tears as they beheld their hair falling to the ground.

“This (money politics) is a shame to all Malaysians. Not only Chinese, all Malaysians regardless of race are humiliated... Throughout the campaign, BN has only two tactics – money, money, money, and lies, lies, lies,” said DAP's Gelang Patah candidate Lim Kit Siang, who was present at the event.