Mahkota polls: BN candidate woos Chinese voters with Mandarin skills

MAHKOTA BY-ELECTION | Amid a backdrop of bright lanterns, BN candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah charmed Chinese residents with his Mandarin skills.

Throughout the Mid-Autumn Festival event held at the Che Luan Khor Moral Uplifting Society in Kluang last night, Chinese attendees of all ages swarmed around to interact with him in their mother tongue.

“You’re so handsome,” a woman in her 50s complimented Syed Hussien in Mandarin.

“Thank you. Please give me a chance,” the 40-year-old politely replied in the same language.

The by-election is being held amid fears that the dispute over the halal certification issue between Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh and DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok could turn Chinese voters away from supporting the Umno candidate.

However, BN has highlighted its contender’s Chinese school background. On nomination day, its chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi pointed out that Syed Hussien has a deep understanding of Chinese culture, language, and mindset as he graduated from SJK (C) Chong Eng.

Last week, allied party MCA said Syed Hussien has a Chinese name - “Sai Fu Xing” - which literally means “lucky star”.

Syed Hussien wielded his vernacular school education at last night's latern festival event, often telling those he met that they had gone to the same school.

DAP’s Wong Shu Qi took him around, introducing him to members of the constituency and Syed Hussien greeted the people, including those operating the stalls.

The crowd was visibly pleased to see him, and many lined up to interact and take pictures with the BN candidate. Several were spotted posing with one finger up, a reference to his position on the ballot as the first candidate.

He also gave a short speech in Mandarin, during which he paused after forgetting how to say the greeting.

“I forgot (how to say it), I did not get enough sleep,” he continued in Mandarin, to laughter from the crowd.

He spent almost two hours at the event, which was attended by more than 300 people, the majority of whom were ethnic Chinese.

Syed Hussien’s interactions with Chinese residents in the area were in stark contrast to his rival Perikatan Nasional’s Mohamad Haizan Jaafar.

At PN’s first ceramah in Mahkota three days ago, only three Chinese people turned up despite the talk being held in a polling district with the biggest Chinese population in the constituency.

No ‘sure win’

Wong, however, cautioned against thinking that the seat was in the bag for the ruling coalition.

“This is not a ’sure win’ by-election that has a winner and loser already because it’s actually still 50-50,” the Kluang MP told reporters at the event.

She also commented that the cooperation between DAP and MCA speaks for itself.

Earlier in the day, MCA president Wee Ka Siong, when asked about his party's collaboration with DAP, said the by-election campaign is led by BN and its component parties.

“For other political parties, if they would like to support us because of the unity government, we have no reason to say no,” the Ayer Hitam MP said when met at a kopitiam in Kluang.

Everyone working together to ensure Umno’s win has the same goal in mind, he added.

PN playing up race

Wong accused PN of playing up racial issues in the absence of real matters to bring up.

“I would actually prefer to hear PN’s suggestions, (such as) how to develop the economy, but they never have ideas like this.

“They only know how to provoke,” she said.

Syed Hussien will be facing Haizan, 61, in a straight fight on Sept 28 polling day.

The Mahkota by-election was called following the death of incumbent BN assemblyperson Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, on Aug 2.

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