GE14 | DAP's act of surrendering the right to claim the Perak menteri besar's position, should Pakatan Harapan win the state in the 14th general election, reeks of cowardice, MCA's Ti Lian Ker said today.

In a statement, the MCA publicity spokesperson said in doing so, DAP, which aspires for racial equality and a Malaysian Malaysia, had submitted to racial politics.

"What is that the DAP is afraid of? Why were they so quick to surrender their right to claim the Perak menteri besar's position? As soon as Abdul Aziz Bari was announced as the party's candidate for the Tebing Tinggi state seat, DAP supremo (Lim Kit Siang), in a haste, declared that the party would not be making a claim for the MB's position.

"Soon after Kit Siang's denial, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke, in what was noted as an overreaction and an unnecessary display of anger, quickly announced that the incumbent, Ong Boon Piow, who made the announcement, would be facing disciplinary action," Ti said.

Ong is facing the music for unilaterally declaring Abdul Aziz as his successor for the seat, and in doing so, bypassing the central leadership.

Ti said DAP's reaction to the issue shows that the party is "afraid of something".

"After all, it (the claim to MB's position) is constitutionally, politically and democratically correct. One wonders what happened to DAP's promise to the non-Malays, especially the Chinese, on an equal playing field?

"Unlike MCA, which is a Chinese-based BN component party, the DAP is supposedly a multiracial party which has a right to hold the Perak menteri besar's position, in the event, they obtain the rakyat's mandate. Are DAP supporters being taken for a ride by the leaders, with false, empty promises? Shouldn't DAP uphold the spirit of democracy?" Ti asked.

DAP's Harapan partners, particularly Bersatu, have lobbied for the party not to field a Malay candidate in a Perak state seat in the coming general election, due to concerns that the move may spook conservative Malay voters.

Perak's constitution requires its menteri besar to be a Malay.

In the last two general elections, DAP, as a member of Pakatan Rakyat and its successor Pakatan Harapan, emerged as the party holding the largest number of opposition state constituency seats in Perak.

However, all of its elected representatives were non-Malays, and this resulted in the then PAS assemblyperson, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, assuming the post of menteri besar.