YOURSAY | ‘Good, fair, honest and transparent governance is what they want.’

'Chinese not mentioned much in Harapan manifesto'

Quigonbond: This explains why MCA continues to lose Chinese votes.

Most Chinese Malaysians are not so hard up to be given special treatment because they had little to begin with in the first place.

They just want fair treatment. What they can gain following fair treatment will come from sheer hard work. So even if "Chinese" is not mentioned in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto, it does not really matter.

Sadly, this is another sign of MCA losing touch, and acting in desperation.

David Dass: MCA publicity spokesperson Ti Lian Ker does not look beyond race. He belongs to a party that only looks at things from a racial perspective.

There are just four issues that should concern any government: Adherence to the constitution, good governance, the economy and high standards of education.

The references to the bumiputeras and the Malays is to assure them that they will not be abandoned by an opposition government.

The references to the Indians is to recognise the dire plight of the community as a whole. The government’s Malaysian Indian Blueprint describes in statistical terms how badly the community is doing.

Targeted assistance is required. The references to 200,000 Orang Asli aims to address issues affecting a community that has been shamefully treated all these years. The allocation to Chinese new villages is increased three times.

Justice and fairness will benefit all Malaysians. A better approach in the future will be to outlaw race-based parties and approach poverty eradication on a needs basis.

KhooBS: This is someone who the Fujian will say is a ‘thai eng lang’ (a person with too much free time).

Ti had time to count how many times the words "bumiputera", "Malays", "Indians", "Chinese" and "Orang Asli", appeared in the Harapan manifesto.

For your next task, count how many times the words "bumiputera", "Malays", "Indians", "Chinese" and "Orang Asli" appear in the BN manifesto. Make sure that the word "Chinese" is mentioned the most.

FerronC: I'm Chinese and I have no issues with it (Harapan manifesto). Good, fair, honest and transparent governance is of the utmost importance here. With it, the population in general will benefit.

Voting Public: We are Malaysian. There is no need to count how many times each race is mentioned, because racial politics should be dead in this day and age.

Get real, MCA. Become relevant to Malaysians and not only to one race.

Is DAP happy to ‘kill off’ PSM’s Jeyakumar?

Anonymous_4171: A well-written piece. Coming from Kuala Kangsar, I have heard heaps of good things about Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj.

Definitely, it will be silly of DAP to field its candidate in Sungai Siput - or is it arrogance that has seeped into DAP?

Anonymous 1248791479112886: Jeyakumar is staunch in his beliefs and serves the poor diligently. He is a humble representative who gives without asking for anything in return.

I hope the central Harapan leadership will have some sense to let him contest the seat.

Ah Hoe: May I provide the sad conclusion to this sorry story. Jeyakumar might be an ace in caring for his political parish but he cannot put up his Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) candidates in Harapan-held (especially DAP) constituencies in three-cornered fights, and then expect DAP to tolerate his candidacy in Sungai Siput.

What is so special about PSM that others in Harapan like DAP must either give way to them or expect three-cornered fights, and not touch Jeyakumar in Sungai Siput?

The absurd joke is that most of those PSM candidates usually come last in three-cornered fights even behind BN candidates (for example, Jelapang in GE13).

Jeyakumar and PSM should consider joining PKR or DAP. The truth is, there is no more room in Malaysia for small parties.

No one cares how stringent your measures are for selecting a candidate because voters showed in previous election they did not care (with a couple of exceptions like Sungai Siput and Kota Damansara).

Look at Kota Damansara in the 13th general election - a whiff of Islamic credentials and PKR’s Mohd Nasir Hashim was treacherously denied his victory by a PAS candidate in a three-cornered fight that saw BN win.

Proarte: PSM talks so much about “principle” and its unwavering adherence to socialist values and that is all very well, but the pertinent issue is whether it can get people to support it.

Nobody doubts that Jeyakumar is an exemplary MP, but then he has to be elected according to the democratic process. Isn't it shameful that PSM stands to be wiped out at the ballot box unless it is supported by other opposition parties? What does this say about PSM's democratic credentials?

It is about time that PSM tests its true support at the ballot box rather than hanging onto the coattails of other “unprincipled” parties.

Jeyakumar and PSM can continue to serve the people of Sungai Siput as an NGO, even if they lose ignominiously in the coming election.

Vision2020: The only way to beat Umno in the forthcoming general election is for all opposition parties to pool all their individual parties' resources and support together as a united front.

It will be magnanimous for DAP to give way on the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat to PSM.

Likewise, PSM must also reciprocate other seats that were won by Pakatan Rakyat in GE13 and not rock the boat by going into three-cornered contests like the unprincipled PAS party to help Umno win GE14.

This is the true spirit of give-and-take and collective teamwork.

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