IT would be almost impossible for the Chinese community to vote for Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) as it is perceived to be a far-right Malay group, political observers said.

They said that there was no reason for the Chinese to back GTA, especially when there are no representatives or election candidates from the community in the newly formed political coalition.

Observers also questioned if GTA was ready to touch on sensitive issues such as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) or the vernacular school issues that have been points of contention between the Barisan Nasional (BN) government and the opposition for years.

Tasmania University academic James Chin said most of the Chinese have already considered Umno a racist party and to have another right-wing Malay group on board is far worse.

He added that no Chinese would want to vote for GTA despite the plea made by the 97-year-old politician.

“You have people from Isma in GTA, which is a far-right and racist group. For the Chinese, Umno is already bad, and to have Isma in GTA is worse.

“I do not see how and why the Chinese would vote for GTA. I don’t think they will even consider,” Chin said.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir urged Chinese electors to support GTA to enable the formation of a clean government.

He said that although his party and the pact was pro-Malay, they were not anti-Chinese.

Chin’s sentiment was shared by Dr Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

He said Dr Mahathir had received support from the Chinese when he was with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the 2018 general election.

Oh explained that the Chinese would not vote for GTA as Dr Mahathir has once again veered toward Malay supremacist ideology.

“There was a time during the last general election when Chinese support for Dr Mahathir was overwhelming.

“But after he resigned unexpectedly during the Sheraton Move and once again veered toward Malay supremacist ideology, it would be difficult for him to gain Chinese trust for the moment,” he said.

What have GTA to offer to the Chinese?

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia senior lecturer Dr Mazlan Ali asked if GTA was ready to compromise with its far-right Malay ideology in order to win the Chinese votes.

He said there was no reason for the Chinese to support Dr Mahathir in the upcoming election as there were other parties that were more open than GTA.

“There is no reason for that because there is not a single Chinese man in GTA, let alone an election candidate. GTA is a Malay rights group and asking the Chinese for support is illogical. 

“There are other parties that also offer a clean government and anti-corruption.

“Why would the Chinese choose a right-wing Malay group? It is hard for the Chinese to vote for an ultra-Malay party.

“What can GTA offer to the Chinese, are they ready to compromise on the UEC issue that has been debated for years? Are they going to recognise vernacular schools in order to win the Chinese vote? These are the answers Dr Mahathir must address,” said Mazlan.

GTA – made up of Pejuang, Putra, Berjasa, Iman and Gagasan Bangsa – will be contesting in 121 parliamentary seats across the country at the national polls, with most of the seats in Malay-majority areas.

This election will see Malay parties fighting hard for the Malay vote through the participation of GTA, Amanah (PH), Bersatu and PAS (Perikatan Nasional), and Umno (BN) in many of the seats.

In Perak, GTA will stand in Tapah, Kuala Kangsar, Larut, Parit, Bukit Gantang, Lumut, Tanjung Malim, Sungai Siput, Tambun and Teluk Intan, while in Penang it will contest in Balik Pulau, Permatang Pauh, Bagan, Tasik Gelugor and Kepala Batas.

GTA is also making its debut in Terengganu, contesting eight parliamentary seats in the east coast state.

In Selangor, GTA is set to stand in 17 parliamentary seats while in Kuala Lumpur, GTA is looking to cause an upset in seven seats. – November 13, 2022.