A backbencher today lambasted the authorities mulling action against those who did not vote for the ruling party, stressing that political retribution does not serve the ruling party's interest.

"(Some of them think that since) this race didn't vote for us, (thus) we must take action. We shouldn't use this tactic," Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam) told the Dewan Rakyat.

While debating the motion of thanks for the royal address today, he said that the right way to win "hearts and minds" was by understanding the voters' problems and solving them.

"Things like ' asalkan bukan Cina (anything but Chinese)' cannot be used (to punish those who don't vote for us). If not, we will lose their support for sure during the next general election," he warned.

Wee, who is also the MCA Youth chief and former deputy education minister, stressed that his advice was aimed at both BN and Pakatan Rakyat.

'Pakatan not that democratic'

Immediately after the 13th general election results were announced, BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak blamed BN's poorer showing on a "Chinese Tsunami".

His remark was used as a basis by pro-BN quarters, including prominent personalities and groups speaking to media, to call for action against the "ungrateful" Chinese.

One group even called for a boycott of goods and services of by companies owned by ethnic Chinese.

On the other hand, Pakatan and their allies did not pin the blame on their failure to capture Putrajaya on any ethnic group and vowed to serve their electorate fairly.

However, Wee said that Pakatan, too, exhibited the wrong grasp of "democracy" when they barred certain media organisations, such as Utusan Malaysi a, from covering state government functions.

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