An Interview with Chew Mei Fun

'I am fighting for a cause'

By Shahrum Sayuthi and Adrian Lai

Chew Mei Fun

DOING THE RIGHT THING: Despite the odds stacked against her in the Kajang by-election on March 23, Barisan Nasional candidate Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun will give her all to create an upset against opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The MCA vice-president explains to Shahrum Sayuthi and Adrian Lai on why contesting the by-election is crucial for her party

Question: You have been away from politics for quite some time after quitting your deputy minister and Wanita MCA chief posts in 2010. What has changed since then?
Answer: My feelings towards politics now are different compared with in 2008. After three years of rest and reflection, I think I have different views on politics. Now, I tell myself that as long as I'm doing something right, why be so worried?
Just say and do what you think is right. At the end of the day, if you are too worried about what people think of you or how they look at you, then you might be compromised.


Question: How do you plan to appeal to the voters in Kajang, as well as your party comrades on the ground?
Answer: We need to be sincere. We need to tell our comrades and friends what we're feeling. What is needed is for us to serve the people without fear or favour. At the same time, we need to take care of the sensitivities of all the ethnic groups.
The truth is, everyone loves peace and everyone wants peace. Everybody wishes that we can live in harmony and respect each other.
Somehow, there are extremists who are doing and saying things that are damaging to the country's unity. We need to face it and find out how to address it. Therefore, I think dialogue among the races is very important.

Question: Political observers have labelled you as the "underdog". Many of them feel that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is going to win. What is your view on this?
Answer: Everyone thinks that about me. I do think I am the underdog but I believe anyone can do it if they are fighting for a cause and deliver their message clearly. With my proven track record and how I have served people in the past, the Kajang electorate may give me a chance.

Question: As Barisan Nasional's (BN) candidate and a senior MCA leader, how well have you been received by Kajang voters since you started making your rounds?
Answer: I have been here (Kajang) for many days now. I shifted here after I was selected as the BN candidate. I walked around and talked to people. Of course, I feel the difference compared with in 2008.
However, even though I found the situation quite encouraging, I will never take this support for granted. All my time was filled up with programmes; I even found it difficult to take two hours off.

Question: In the last general election, there were reports that many Kajang MCA members had voted for the opposition. Will this trend continue?
Answer: This round might be different. I met some of our members during my programmes and they told me that things are different now. They said: "We want to support our party and we want to see our party reform and transform."
And, I believe this is the sentiment of all our MCA members. There are more than 4,000 MCA members in Kajang.
If everybody votes for BN, we will do much better. In the last election, only 18.8 per cent of the Chinese community here voted for BN. Many of our members didn't vote for BN that time. But, now, they are with me.

Question: Tell us about your day-to-day activities.
Answer: In the mornings and afternoons, I go to coffeeshops to chat with local residents. In the evenings, I attend Chinese gatherings. From 9pm to midnight, I mingle with Malays and give ceramah. In fact, (Umno information chief) Datuk Ahmad Maslan comes here every night to assist me with my campaign.
My campaign methods are different from Anwar's. He sends (the party's information chief) Tian Chua to the ground. Do you want to vote for his assistant or the candidate himself?
Anwar takes the people's support for granted. He thinks the Chinese community will definitely support him.
That's why he engineered this by-election, which is unnecessary. He is just trying to solve his party's internal problems. I think the Chinese people here are not blind. If you ask me, they are more critical than anyone else, besides being pragmatic voters.

Question: Why do you think it is important for the voters to give BN a chance to wrest Kajang?
Answer: This is a multiracial country. Whether we're in BN or the opposition, we need to adopt a multiracial approach to politics. Currently, the opposition in Selangor does not reflect that.
And, all 12 BN state assemblymen are from Umno. There are also no female representatives. Therefore, the voters here need to give MCA and me a chance to represent them.

Question: What if the Chinese community in Selangor has decided to regard DAP as their sole representative?
Answer: Here, in Selangor, DAP is part of the ruling government. The Chinese may choose to have DAP as their only representative but that's provided DAP does not do anything wrong.
Currently, DAP can't even stop PKR from doing what it wants. One should not put all the eggs in a single basket. You need to split your risks when you make investments. It is the same in politics.

Question: How do you think your Chinese education background will help you win over the voters and safeguard their interests?
Answer: No doubt, I am from the Chinese-speaking circle because I attended Chinese school. I even studied for my degree in Taiwan and pursued my Master in Chinese Studies at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.
So, I understand the feelings of the Malaysian Chinese. But, I do believe that we cannot live in our own bubble. We need to reach out to others. As leaders, we need to bridge the gap between the ethnic groups. We need to bring them out of their circles.
If we don't do that, we won't be able to have a good platform to talk to each other. If you look at Malaysia now, even though we are a multiracial country, many Malays are still living in villages, the Indians in the estates and the Chinese in new villages.

Question: You mention that BN adopts a multiracial approach to politics and that this is the correct formula to govern the country. However, Pakatan, in particular DAP, propagates the same ideology. How are the coalitions different?
Answer: We are different because even though BN has three large race-based parties, we are able to agree to the concept of power-sharing, but at the same time keep our ethnic identities. Officially, we represent our own race and safeguard their interests.
If you look at things this way, BN is actually a multiracial alliance. It means that we can work together but, at the same time, not forget our identity.
However, even though DAP claims it is a multiracial party, it is obviously Chinese-based. That is how different we are. MCA founder Tun Tan Cheng Lock had once said that although we are a race-based party, we are moving forward with other political parties in BN (then known as the Alliance). The same cannot be said about Pakatan.
For example, when Anwar said he was contesting the Kajang seat, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said he was not informed.
I want to win this election not only for MCA but also for BN. If MCA is weak, it won't be good for BN. We need to work together and bring everybody together. Everybody must progress.

Question: That said, how will you rate your chances of winning at this juncture?
Answer: This is a "mission impossible" but we are fighting for a win. Last time, when we had the same dire situation in Ampang Jaya in 1989, we still managed to win the seat there.

Question: Tell us why Kajang voters should give you their votes.
Answer: First of all, you will be voting in a proper representative, not his assistant. Second, you are strengthening the opposition in Selangor. Third, you will be electing a person who can bring a lot of progress to Kajang.
Remember, Putrajaya is just 15 minutes away from here. The development of Putrajaya will spill into its surrounding areas. Besides, the PKR-led Selangor government is beset with problems. Why push the blame on BN when the prices of goods increase?
They (PKR) cannot even rationalise why the state leaders' salaries are higher than the prime minister's. On one hand, you criticise your opponents, but at the same time, you do the same thing, hoping people will not complain.

Question: The so-called Chinese tsunami last year caused MCA to lose badly, leaving it with only seven parliamentary and 11 state seats. Will a win in Kajang prove that Chinese support is swinging back to BN?
Answer: First of all, last year's loss was largely because of an urban tsunami, and not just a Chinese one. And, it has only been eights months since the 13th General Election. Our (MCA) new leadership has been in office for less than four months.
If you use the results of this election as a yardstick, it won't be fair. But a win for MCA will mean a lot for the party as it will receive a much-needed morale boost to continue its transformation. If we win, the Chinese voters in Kajang are sending out this message: "Do your best and don't disappoint us again".

Question: How long do you think is needed for MCA to pick itself out of the doldrums?
Answer: I think we need at least five to 10 years. It is not easy as we are going through a massive transformation.
Actually, we have many young people and all we have to do is make sure they have a platform to perform. We need the support of the younger leaders if we are to get through this process of transformation.

Question: What would be your message to the voters in Kajang, especially those who feel that you are being used as BN's sacrificial lamb in this by-election?
Answer: People keep asking me, Mei Fun, why do you let yourself become the sacrificial lamb?
Well, I tell them, you don't have to worry about me. I was a normal party member, then I became a member of parliament, then I almost lost my life (in an accident), became deputy minister, and then quit everything. I led an ordinary life, came back as an MCA vice-president and now, I'm going up against a titan like Anwar Ibrahim.
I think I've been through quite a lot and I just want to go in knowing I'm fighting for a cause and doing what I think is right. You don't have to worry about me. After many years in politics, I've learned that there's no point stressing over winning or losing. Just let things be.

Read more: 'I am fighting for a cause' - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/i-am-fighting-for-a-cause-1.496254#ixzz2unXAWasp