In private meet with Najib, Chinese leaders want continued Malaysia-Sino ties

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — Malaysia should maintain cosy ties with China, the local ethnic Chinese community’s top leaders urged caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during a private meeting today.

Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah, president of the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong), said that around 20 Chinese business and society leaders also impressed upon Najib the importance of Malaysia remaining close to China.

“Malaysia has very good ties with China, especially when Najib is at the helm,” he was quoted as saying by local daily New Straits Times (NST) following the private lunch at Seri Perdana.

Pheng said China’s investments here provided jobs for Malaysians and spurred the country’s economic growth.

Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong, chairman of China-Asean Business Association Malaysia, reportedly said an anti-China stance “by a group of politicians and racists can be harmful for the continuing good relations between Malaysia and China”.

While he did not identify any such politician, Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been a vocal critic of China’s investments here and the involvement of the country’s firms in Malaysian developments.

Noting that China has given the Asean region a special position, Lim further pointed out Malaysia’s own unique appeal to China among those in Asean.

“Within Asean, Malaysia enjoys a special position. (In fact), Malaysia is a preferred destination for China. And, this is great for Malaysia’s economic growth in the years to come,” he was quoted as saying.

“So Malaysians should exercise their votes for stability and continuing good relations with China,” he said.

Tan Sri Tee Hock Seng, honorary president of the Federation of Hokkien Associations Malaysia, said China’s investment here has benefited Malaysian businesses.

He said the East Coast Rail Link project involved construction materials mostly supplied by local firms and had Malaysians accounting for around 70 per cent of its workers.

The private meeting comes during the campaign period for the 14th general election, with polling day fixed for next Wednesday.

The Barisan Nasional federal government under Najib had, prior to the end of his current term, pursued and attracted investment and partnership from China’s firms in local projects.

Najib has visited China no fewer than seven times since taking office while Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang came to Malaysia in 2013 and 2015.

The federal Opposition Pakatan Harapan has, in its GE14 manifesto, promised to launch detailed studies of mega projects awarded to foreign countries.