DAP's Loke says viral clip a ploy to stop PH-BN momentum

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters not to be "influenced" by a viral video clip showing a party supporter spewing expletives at PAS and Umno during a DAP event to raise funds for the Balakong state seat campaign attended by him and other top leaders in June.

Loke, who is also the transport minister, said the video was being "deliberately viralled by certain quarters" in an effort to stop the campaign momentum of BN and PH.

He also said the speech was by an "ordinary DAP member (who) in no way represents the party leadership".

"I call on all PH and BN supporters not to be influenced by the video clip which does not represent DAP's morals and stance at all," said Loke, adding that he had instructed for the man's membership to be suspended.

The two-minute clip has been making waves on WhatsApp and video-sharing platforms since yesterday evening, garnering some half a million views within 24 hours on TikTok alone, followed by thousands of angry comments.

It was taken on June 10 at a Chinese restaurant in Cheras, where Loke had spoken alongside other DAP leaders including deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo, Deputy Finance Minister Steven Sim, Balakong incumbent Wong Siew Ki and Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan.

It showed a man rousing the audience with expletives aimed at PAS as well other opponents of DAP.

He argued that DAP was not wrong to oppose Umno in the past, and warned of the consequences of voters not supporting the current government.

"We were not wrong all this while to be fu****g them up. They made Malaysia backward like this. All because of them.

"If they lose the state elections, this goddamned group will split, there will be chaos, and many will jump to join the turban party.

"Once they do that, our brother Anwar will fall. Do you all understand? If we lose the six states, brother Anwar's government will be weak. So if you want brother Anwar's government to be strong, everyone has to vote and support Pakatan Harapan," said the man.

The speech was also reminicent of remarks by another DAP supporter, Hew Kuan Yew, better known as Superman Hew, who during the general election campaign last year urged Chinese voters to exploit the disunity of the Malays by giving them a "knockout punch" at the polls.

"Now let the Malays who want Malay supremacy, the head-wrapped Malays who want Islamic supremacy, meaning those PAS b****ds," Hew was heard saying in a video clip that went viral on the eve of polling day on Nov 19 last year. 

Police arrested and released Hew some days later but did not announce the outcome of their investigation.

The latest clip appeared at a crucial stage of the election campaign in Selangor, where some of the fiercest battles are taking place amid Perikatan Nasional's (PN) threat to PH's control of the state. 

A recent survey by pollster Ilham Centre said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was still not a popular figure among the bulk of Malays, whose support will be crucial for the PH-BN alliance to prevent Selangor from falling to PN.