Malaysian Opposition Party: Never Win Against China!

MCA central committee member Chew Kok Who said Mahathir’s comments on China were tactless and immature. “MCA wants the new government to be tactful in dealing with China because we may never win,” Chew said.

This MCA member quoted Prime Minister Mahathir's statement in an interview published on the Malaysiakini news site on August 23, in which the 93-year-old prime minister said that the 9km long wall surrounding the Malaysia-China industrial park in Kuantan City, Pahang State should be demolished.

Prime Minister Li Keqiang talks with Mahathir Mohamad (right). Photo: THX

Mr Chew criticised negative coverage of the industrial park – which described the wall as Kuantan’s Great Wall. According to Malaysiakini, Chinese workers said they were barred from going beyond the perimeter of the wall while Malaysian officials were prevented from entering the industrial park.

"The industrial park is not foreign and should be subject to Malaysian law. It is not right to prevent local officials from accessing it. So we need to tear down the wall and all that because it is wrong in Malaysia," said Prime Minister Mahathir.

Mr Chew also expressed displeasure with the Malaysian prime minister's statements, which he described as "unwise and undiplomatic", before and after his recent visit to China. Mr Chew alluded to Mr Mahathir's warning of "neo-colonialism" during his talks with Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing.

The MCA official raised the scenario of China losing patience and choosing to retaliate quietly, which would have a huge impact, while pointing out the impacts that occurred in countries like South Korea and Palau when losing Chinese tourists.

Mr Chew said Malaysia should take advantage of the current China-US trade war instead of embarrassing Beijing. Mr Chew suggested that China has stopped buying soybeans from the US and now is the best time for Malaysia to increase palm oil exports to China.