Hilmi said this was why the Chinese community had started to reject DAP, as they felt the party did not lift a finger to help them.

“DAP does not help the common people,” the deputy health minister told reporters after launching a dental programme at the National Mosque here today.

Hilmi was responding to a question on how Umno would deal with racial issues that have supposedly been stirred up by DAP.

He added that the Chinese community was also dissatisfied with the current state administration due to economic matters.

Hilmi said many big factories in Penang had shut down and moved their operations overseas, with 6,000 people losing their jobs.

“There have been a lot of changes and the Chinese community here have lost their confidence in the state government,” he said.

Last year, it was reported that US-based Rubicon Technology Inc closed down its facility – Rubicon Sapphire Technology (M) Sdn Bhd – on mainland Penang.

In July 2016, American hard disk maker Seagate Technology Plc and computer data storage firm Western Digital Corp (WD) relocated the bulk of their operations to Thailand.

The opposition coalition comprising DAP and PKR wrested Penang from the Barisan Nasional in 2008.