BALAKONG POLLS | In response to criticism that her party was unfit to provide check and balance to the government, MCA vice-president Chew Mei Fun has questioned if Pakatan Harapan – specifically component party DAP – was now “afraid” of being held accountable.

While stumping for DAP on the Balakong by-election campaign trail this morning, party supremo Lim Kit Siang said that MCA did not qualify as credible opposition because it had previously supported ousted former premier Najib Abdul Razak, and thus “abetted” the 1MDB scandal.

Though not addressing Lim’s points on Najib or 1MDB, Chew stood by MCA’s commitment to holding Harapan accountable.

“Harapan is now both the federal government as well as the state government here in Selangor, (it needs to be checked) to ensure it does not ignore the interests of the people.

“Thus, it is entirely logical for MCA to employ ‘check and balance’ as the main theme of its (Balakong by-election) campaign.

Read more: 'MCA must condemn Najib, 1MDB before qualifying as credible opposition'

“I don’t understand why Lim and other DAP leaders are afraid when they hear the words 'check and balance'. Has Lim forgotten how DAP once advocated a two-line check and balance system?” she asked in a statement today.

'Brainwashing voters'

Chew also questioned if Lim had intended to “brainwash” voters into thinking the Harapan government could do away with scrutiny from opposition parties.

DAP’s penchant for criticising others but not accepting criticism towards itself and Harapan, she added, showed that the party had become “undemocratic, proud and arrogant."

Chew, who heads MCA’s Balakong campaign, pointed out that holding the Harapan government accountable would help ensure the latter fulfilled its election promises.

In his criticisms of MCA, Lim had also urged the party to apologise for supporting Najib and come out to “take a stand and condemn him.”

But according to Chew, it is the Iskandar Puteri MP and DAP who should apologise.

“Lim and the DAP must apologise on behalf of Harapan for failing to implement its election promises, and (Harapan should) immediately fulfil them,” she said.