‘Local Chinese millionaires ditching Opposition’
Political and economic analyst says Chinese millionaires likely to back BN as their livelihood is at stake and they want to stop hudud being implemented.
(FMT) – More local Chinese businessmen are likely to back the Barisan Nasional government in the coming general election, a political and economic analyst has predicted.
Prof Hoo Ke Ping said this was because of the challenging business environment and fear of hudud being implemented in the country.
He said these millionaires were once ardent Opposition supporters, but now hoped to stop any Umno-PAS liaison shaping up a hudud policy in the country.
“In the 1990s, a lot of big-time Chinese millionaires were doing well. They told the small-time businessmen to support the Opposition.
“Now these same Chinese businessmen are changing their stand. At the top level, it is happening fast.
“They are scared as their livelihood is under threat. If they support the Barisan Nasional government, they hope to stop hudud and get the economy going,” he told FMT.
In the last general election, the BN government was said to have lost the support of many Chinese voters.
Despite all the negative reports on the economy and state-owned investment arm 1MDB, local Chinese businessmen want to stay on in Malaysia to do business because “it is easier to make a livelihood here”, said Hoo.
