Following the two parties’ Muafakat Nasional charter, Khaled said they should not resort to fielding an MCA candidate just to prove their support for multicultural politics. — Picture by Hari Anggara

JOHOR BARU, Sept 24 — Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin today urged Umno and PAS to avoid being trapped in narrow “political thinking” by assuming that MCA should automatically contest the Tanjung Piai by-election.

Following the two parties’ Muafakat Nasional charter, Khaled said they should not resort to fielding an MCA candidate just to prove their support for multicultural politics.

“Telling Umno and PAS that because we have brought up the Muafakat Nasional agenda, therefore we have to give way to MCA to prove our support for multicultural politics is a shallow thinking.

“You still cannot go out from the narrow racial lens in political thinking. As if a certain area must be represented by certain ethnic group and certain parties,” he said in a statement today on the imminent Tanjung Piai by-election.

MCA’s Datuk Wee Jek Seng contested the seat for three general elections, but lost in the 14th general election by a mere 524-vote majority.

Mohamed Khaled said only the best candidate who has the potential, skills, authority and energy must be chosen to stand.

He said this was expected of candidates representing Umno, MCA, PAS, MIC, or anyone else under the charter.

“We want someone who is competent and can speak for and understand the people of Tanjung Piai.

“Muafakat Nasional must be prepared to make a drastic shift in this new value,” said the former Johor menteri besar.

Mohamed Khaled said it is such values that precede the best representation in Parliament.

“It is not about being part of the biggest party, or belonging to the largest race, or having an old-fashion political understanding.

“Otherwise, Muafakat Nasional and its Barisan Nasional (BN) counterparts will continue to be trapped in a more unrealistic political formula like Pakatan Harapan (PH),” said Mohamed Khaled, adding that he hopes that the Tanjung Piai by-election will be about a healthy moderate contest for a more democratic Malaysia.

Earlier, Mohamed Khaled paid tribute and offered his condolences to the late Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik on his passing last Saturday.

The 42-year-old former MP and deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department died after suffering from a heart attack in his hometown of Serkat in Tanjung Piai, near Pontian.