Puad’s praise of Loke won’t sit well with Chinese voters, says analyst

January 6, 2024

Puad’s praise of Loke won’t sit well with Chinese voters, says analyst

PETALING JAYA: Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi’s recent compliment of DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook may be viewed negatively by the Chinese community, according to an analyst.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania said Puad calling Loke a realistic leader, who portrays a modest image and consistently respects friends and foes, would be viewed by the Chinese community as DAP bending over backwards to accommodate Umno.

Speaking to FMT, he pointed to MCA’s rejection by the Chinese voters in past elections due to the perception that the party was kowtowing to Umno, its coalition partner in Barisan Nasional.

“It’s not a question of having a realistic leader. You have to define ‘realistic’ from the Umno viewpoint.

“When Puad brought up the idea of a realistic leader, it was about Malay supremacy. A non-Malay, especially a Chinese leader, who doesn’t challenge Malay supremacy is essentially what Puad meant by ‘realistic’.

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“This is the same label attached to MCA, Gerakan and MIC. They were never in a position to challenge Umno in the Malay supremacy issue (when they were part of the government before 2018),” Chin said.

Last week, Puad said the country needed more leaders like Loke, adding that the leadership style of the Seremban MP was well liked by many.

However, he said the “simplicity” that Loke tried to bring within DAP was tainted by the “mischievous” actions of other party members, which were difficult to control and caused trouble.

His remarks followed the controversy sparked by DAP backbencher Ngeh Koo Hem’s proposal for the government to appoint non-Muslim experts to assist the special committee to review the competence of state assemblies to enact Islamic laws.

Loke later acknowledged Ngeh’s proposal as a mistake, emphasising that his party respects the wisdom of the Sultan of Selangor as the chairman of the national council for Islamic religious affairs in making decisions.

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Meanwhile, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Loke’s style of leadership was needed in the unity government, which comprises parties with ideological differences that serve different ethnicities.

He said Loke’s manner should be emulated by other party leaders in the unity government to manage their differences.

“We cannot stop at just DAP. In the unity government, extreme views that can hurt the feelings of the other side – whether from PKR, Umno, Amanah, or any other – require leadership that involves a bit of logic and consideration.

“Furthermore, if we were to extend this leadership role, it is also necessary if we want to establish connections between political parties in the unity government, parties from the peninsula and Borneo. Both sides need to understand each other and not be too extreme in defending their own interests,” Azmi said.