SHAH ALAM – DAP should emulate MCA’s dedication to ensuring a strong turnout of Chinese voters, as seen in the recent Mahkota by-election.
Umno Youth Chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh criticised Johor DAP Chairman Liew Chin Tong who blamed him for the low turnout of Chinese voters, calling the accusation unreasonable.
"In the Sungai Bakap by-election, Chinese voters did not turn up either. Was that also Dr Akmal Saleh’s fault, even though I was not in Sungai Bakap?
"Instead, you should ask your leaders who made statements that disrupted national peace, rather than blaming someone who merely responded to your leader’s remarks.
"Try to follow MCA’s example, which worked hard and eventually brought out their core Chinese voters, just as promised. Want to blame me? Suit yourself, it is your party,” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
Earlier, it was reported that Liew claimed the dispute between Dr Akmal and DAP vice-president Teresa Kok led to anger and frustration among Chinese voters during the Mahkota by-election, resulting in their refusal to vote last Saturday.
He added that the disagreement became a factor for voters to protest by abstaining from their civic duty, which contributed to the low Chinese voter turnout.
In response, Dr Akmal emphasised that Umno must strive to improve in order to maintain the public’s trust in the party.
He firmly stated that Umno would continue to uphold its principles of protecting Islam, the Malay race and the nation, regardless of who they are aligned with.