[UPDATED] Chinese voters swinging back to BN, says Najib after jubilant welcome in Penang

GEORGE TOWN – Buoyed by some enthusiastic crowds during his current visit to Penang, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claims to have witnessed a significant change in the mood among Chinese voters towards Barisan Nasional (BN).

The former BN chairman said that this became apparent in the outcomes of recent state elections in Melaka in November last year and Johor earlier this month.

BN regained a two-thirds majority in both state polls with a few Chinese-majority seats swinging towards its component MCA.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the Penang Umno leadership here, he noted that he was given a visibly warm welcome during his visits to markets and coffee shops in the state yesterday.

Asked to comment on remarks made by the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce that it did not see the reception as a sign of support from the Chinese community, Najib pointed out that he was invited to Penang for this current tour and had not come on his own accord.

Asked if this should make DAP, which has been ruling the state since 2008, “nervous”, he replied that it is a question for DAP to answer.

Yesterday, Najib, who is the MP for Pekan, had denied ever saying “apa lagi Cina mahu” (what more do the Chinese want) after the 2013 general election.

Addressing participants at the Penang International Business and International Summit, he said the phrase on the front page of a Malay-language daily was used as a “propaganda tool by DAP” because a photo of his face was also used on the same page.

In his first visit to the state since 2019, he was greeted with jubilant reactions with “Bossku” banners put up around town. A group of his Chinese supporters welcomed him boisterously at Penang International Airport here on Thursday night.

Najib also took to Facebook to rebut criticisms aimed at him by opposition politicians and some NGO activists about his highly publicised visit to Penang, which has seen scenes of support for him go viral on social media.

“This morning, an individual, who is supposedly a state PKR communications director, had claimed that my visit did not receive any response. I was even accused of being a drama king,” he said in a post.

It is understood that Najib was referring to Penang PKR’s communication chief Amir Ghazali.

“It (the opinion) is up to the individual,” he said, adding with a mild taunt: “I noticed that his posting only had seven likes. Because of that, I decided to help him free of charge.”

Najib later was feted to a nasi kandar luncheon before he flew back to Kuala Lumpur. – The Vibes, March 26, 2022