PAS leader hits back at Chua’s ‘warning’ to Chinese voters

PETALING JAYA: A PAS leader has criticised former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek over his remarks that voter apathy among the Chinese community could indirectly pave the way for PAS to gain power.

PAS central committee member Dr Halimah Ali said that such narratives, depicting her party as something to be feared, are a tactic by political opponents to deter the Chinese community from giving PAS a chance.

“This is an old tactic used by all of PAS’s opponents who do not want the Chinese community to ‘fall in love’ with PAS,” she told FMT.

Chua had said in an interview that PAS could take power “by default” if disgruntled Chinese voters boycott elections or cast spoilt ballots.

The former federal minister said the issue was already being “debated quietly” among Chinese voters, with some Pakatan Harapan leaders insisting that PAS could take Putrajaya if voters do not back the coalition.

Chua said Chinese voters should not allow their frustration with PH to lead to abstention, warning that rejecting all parties over corruption or performance issues could unintentionally benefit PAS.

However, Halimah said voters of all races today judge leaders based on integrity, adding that even critics acknowledge PAS leaders are generally not involved in misusing public funds while in office.

The Kapar MP urged all parties to stop stoking fear among non-Malay voters over PAS’s political prospects.

“What’s needed for a sustainable and progressive direction for the country are sincere, rakyat-centric policymakers who focus on solving people’s problems,” she said.