DAP propaganda aimed at keeping Malay votes: Salleh

KUALA LUMPUR: Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak says the DAP's various propaganda are only aimed at retaining the Malay votes it won.
The Umno treasurer said the history of the general election since 1990 proved that DAP could win several parliamentary constituencies due to cooperation from Malay-based parties, particularly Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and PAS.
Salleh in his analysis of the elections, said DAP, however, could only win in Chinese-majority areas in the 1990 and 1999 general election although there was a spit in Umno while it worked with other Malay parties.
"But in the 2008 and 2013 general election where DAP gained a lot of Malay support as a result of cooperation with PAS and PKR, the number of DAP seats increased drastically after winning 28 (12.61%) and 38 (17.1%) respectively, out of the 222 parliamentary seats.
"Now that PAS is no longer with Pakatan Rakyat, DAP is worried. DAP is worried that the party is no longer strong. Hence, DAP has been issuing various propaganda to ensure that the Malay voters in PAS remain with it in Pakatan Harapan," he said his blog posting at www.sskeruak.blogspot.my today.
Salleh noted that DAP won 20 of the 57 parliamentary seats it contested in the 1990 general election, nine of 50 in 1995, 10 of 47 in 1999, 12 of 44 in 2004, 28 of 47 in 2008 and 38 of 51 in 2013.
However, he said, if the Malays were not united, DAP could take control over the country even if it contests 60 parliamentary seats in the coming 14th general election by getting its allies in Pakatan Rakyat like Parti Amanah Negara, PKR and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia to secure the Malay votes.
Salleh said states like Perak, Johor, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Malacca had many mixed race seats, and DAP was confident that a shift of 10% to 15% in Malay votes was enough for it to take over the country's administration.
Thus, he reminded the Malays in this country not to be politicking using emotion, but to think of the country's future before they could be drawn to shift their support to Pakatan Harapan.
"The politics of Barisan Nasional is of doing good deeds and compromise among the races, and it has been proven successful in developing the country. We all have a responsibility towards our nation," he said. — Bernama