
Ayer Kuning polls: Barisan victory shows voters favour inclusive and progressive governance, says Dr Wee
PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional's victory in the Ayer Kuning by-election demonstrates voters' preference for an inclusive and progressive style of governance, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
"After a fierce three-cornered fight, Barisan's Dr Yusri Bakir successfully won the Ayer Kuning state seat with a majority of 5,506 votes!
"Perikatan Nasional's Abd Muhaimin Malek and Parti Sosialis Malaysia's Bawani KS, only garnered 6,059 and 1,106 votes respectively, which clearly demonstrates that local voters favour Barisan's inclusive and progressive style of governance.
"Congratulations to Dr Yusri Bakir! May he continue to uphold the spirit of service and lead Ayer Kuning toward a more prosperous and united future!" Dr Wee said in a statement on Saturday (April 26).
He also thanked Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon for his efforts.
"I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire machinery which has been giving it their all for this campaign.
"A special thank you to MCA deputy president and Perak MCA chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon for leading the MCA machinery in their tireless efforts over the past two weeks to ensure more Chinese voters came out to vote and secure Barisan's final victory.
"Appreciation also goes to the teams from Election Commission, volunteers, safety and medical personnel and all who ensured a smooth campaigning and voting process," he said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
36 minutes ago
- The Star
Vice-premier to meet US delegation for trade talks
Vice-Premier He Lifeng will meet a US delegation for talks in Britain, Beijing announced amid a fragile truce in the trade dispute between the two powers. He will visit the United Kingdom from June 8 to 13 at the invitation of the British government, China's Foreign Ministry said Saturday in a statement. It said He and American representatives will co-chair the first meeting of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism. US President Donald Trump had already announced on Friday that a new round of trade talks with China would kick off in London beginning today, after he spoke by phone with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a bid to end a bitter battle over tariffs. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would meet the Chinese team. The discussions will mark the second round of such negotiations between the world's two biggest economies since Trump launched his trade war shortly after returning to the White House in January. A first meeting, held in mid-May in Geneva, brought a pause to the US-China trade dispute. But Trump then accused Beijing of not respecting the terms of the recent de-escalation agreement. On Thursday the Republican president finally discussed the issues with Xi for the first time since the trade tensions soared, assuring that the conversation had been positive. Xi for his part told Trump the two should 'correct the course' of bilateral relations, according to remarks quoted by official Chinese media. — AFP


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Penang seeks to expand 5% home discount to all buyers
GEORGE TOWN: The 5% housing discount for first-time homebuyers involving the Indian Muslim community will be reviewed, says Chow Kon Yeow. The Penang Chief Minister said he has instructed state housing and environment committee chairman Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo to review the policy with developers to expand the discount to all buyers. He said the move will make it more inclusive and beneficial to all segments of society in line with the principle of social justice. 'Some of the views received suggested that such a discount should also be offered to all buyers to revitalise the property sector, especially in relation to the sale of unsold new property units,' he said in a statement yesterday. The state executive council, Chow said, would study the matter and make an appropriate decision in the interest of all parties. On Thursday, Sundarajoo told reporters that from June 1 until May 31 next year, developers would be encouraged to offer Indian Muslims who are first-time homebuyers a 5% discount under the Madani Home Ownership Campaign. On Saturday, he issued a formal statement on the matter but about an hour later, Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim announced that Chow agreed to suspend the discount offer pending the review. The initial policy announced by the state government was criticised by MCA, which described it as racially divisive. State MCA secretary Yeoh Chin Kah questioned why the Penang government could not base its housing policy on economic status rather than race and religion, expressing confusion that DAP, a party advocating for a 'Malaysian Malaysia', would introduce such a racially framed initiative. 'The people of Penang cannot accept this policy and condemn it for dividing the races,' he said.


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Dr Wee: Do your homework first
KUALA LUMPUR: Amending the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Act 2021 (Act 122) was never about regulating the use of subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), said Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic). The MCA president, who referred to parliamentary hansards in 2021, said the amendments only gave wider enforcement powers to Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry officers. Dr Wee also said the amendments were debated by numerous MPs from both sides of the political divide before it was passed in Parliament in March 2022. 'Not a single MP mentioned the permit for three subsidised LPG gas cylinders or the use of commercial LPG for restaurants,' said Dr Wee in a video posted on Facebook on Sunday. Dr Wee said when then Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi was giving a Parliament reply in March 2022, he never mentioned the regulation on subsidised gas cylinders. 'Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, you were not at the Dewan Rakyat then, but you could have checked the Hansard. Do your homework before accusing me,' Dr Wee said. Armizan, the current Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, had claimed that the law behind the enforcement, where eateries are required to use 14kg commercial LPG cylinders, was passed when Dr Wee was in the Cabinet in 2021. 'Maybe the regulation on the use of cooking gas in a subsidised gas cylinder not exceeding 42kg was an internal ministerial order, or an instruction from the administration,' added Dr Wee. Dr Wee said the law behind the enforcement where eateries are required to use 14kg commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was introduced since the 2000s, but it was never enforced until the first Pakatan Harapan government in 2019. 'In early 2019, the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister issued orders making it compulsory for restaurants, coffee shops and hawkers to use commercial LPG. 'But Chong Chieng Jen, who was the deputy minister, announced the postponement of that policy following public concerns over price hikes on food. He said food and beverages (F&B) operators are allowed to use subsidised LPG,' said Dr Wee. 'And now, they are trying to enforce it again under the Madani government in 2025.' He also demanded an apology from Armizan. 'You should apologise to me for your carelessness. As the spokesman of the people, I should have not been sacrificed,' he said. Meanwhile, Armizan shot back at Dr Wee, saying he was talking about the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Regulations 2021 during a press conference on June 5 and not the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Act 2021 which the MCA president was referring to. 'It is surely impossible to find the legal provisions that I was referring to because as I mentioned A, he was referring to Z,' said Armizan in a statement on Facebook yesterday. Previously, Armizan had said Ops Gasak is being carried out under three existing laws – the Control of Supplies Act 1961, the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 and the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Regulations 2021. Armizan had also said that the regulation was enforced during the previous administration in 2021, of which Dr Wee had served as a Cabinet Minister. Yesterday, Dr Wee had said though he served as a Cabinet Minister in 2021, he has never been involved in approving such regulations. On Thursday, Armizan had said that small and micro-scale F&B operators will be exempted from enforcement under the ongoing Ops Gasak Armizan said the Cabinet agreed to review the regulations on the use of subsidised LPG cylinders by such traders, after recommendations submitted by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry. Ops Gasak, which began on May 1 and will run until Oct 31, is meant to curb illegal activities such as decanting (transferring gas from subsidised LPG cylinders to non-subsidised ones), smuggling and the misuse of subsidised LPG by medium and large-scale industrial sectors. Dr Wee had said Ops Gasak should have focused on large-scale operations and at the borders, and not on petty traders and hawkers. The crux of the issue, he said, is the smuggling activities at the borders and abuse of targeted subsidies. The Petaling Jaya Coffeeshop Association has also said a switch to commercial LPG by hawkers could lead to consumers paying higher food prices.