For whatever its worth (11)

Kota Lama in English would mean Old Fortress, and to the MCA their once sole stronghold (the only state assembly seat in reserved to them by the BN) in the heartland of the Malay Belt state of Kelantan, which they lost to miserably to PAS since 1999.

The MCA candidate was trounced by the PAS candidate in the 1999 elections. And the PAS candidate for that year was Dato Annuar Tan (who retained the seat in 2004), a Chinese Muslim that has since been elevated as an EXCO member by the MB.


Dato Annuar Tan
the sole PAS Chinese
assemblyman

Annuar commands respect from the Malay as well as Chinese community in Kelantan. Since his victory he has never looked back and has managed to establish a strong foothold not only in Kota Lama but also amongst the Kelantanese as a whole.

To PAS Annuars presence is a solid proof that unlike MCA and Umno, they are not a communal or racially based party. As it is it would be very difficult for the MCA or the BN to unseat Annuar, more so with the recent establishment of the PAS Supporters Club (Kelab Penyokong PAS) particularly among the Chinese community, conquering Kota Lama would simply be a dream or nightmare to the MCA.

Yesterday in Kota Baru, while launching the Kelantan MCA delegates conference, its President Ong Ka Ting ambitiously told the gathering that the MCA is set to capture Kota Lama in the next general elections.

Ka Ting issued a racist statement that only the MCA understood the plight of the Chinese in Kelantan, therefore the voters in Kota Lama should vote in their candidate this time round.

Has Annuar Tan discarded his Chinese roots by becoming a Muslim? If indeed the plight of the Chinese in Kelantan be only best served by a Chinese then there is no reason why Annuar Tan has to be replaced by a new towkay from the MCA!

Ka Ting added that only the BN could mould a tolerant and multi ethnic community in the country, a task which PAS has failed.I am sure the Chinese in Kelantan are the best people to judge that.

I am sure the Chinese in Kelantan would never forget that in one state assembly sitting, the Opposition Leader, Annuar Musa who is also the state BN Chairman (of which MCA is a member) once branded Annuar as a Chinese BARUAH (lackey), a derogatory term which could only be uttered by a racist extremist. And here comes Ka Ting telling the Chinese in Kelantan that the BN is a better choice.

With that in mind Ka Ting can just forget Kota Lama and perhaps focus his attention in capturing seats belonging to the DAP in the West Coast.