MCA says willing to play musical chairs
Dr Chua said MCA would make way if the incoming party had better chances of winning. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the MCA was willing to trade seats with other Barisan Nasional (BN) parties ahead of an anticipated general election if doing so benefitted the larger coalition.
Dr Chua’s MIC counterpart, Datuk G. Palanivel, made the suggestion yesterday, reportedly saying his party was prepared to swap seats with its BN partners if doing so improved their chances of winning.
“We are willing to swap seats as long as we are confident that the component party can win the seat,” Dr Chua was quoted saying by Bernama Online today.
“We will support this because we are looking at the bigger picture, to ensure BN forms the government.”
BN’s existing mandate does not expire until 2013, but it is believed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak intends to call for an early general election to both secure his personal mandate and improve the coalition’s hold on power.
BN suffered historic losses during Election 2008, when it lost its traditional two-thirds hold on Parliament and four more states to the loose partnership of PAS, DAP and PKR.
