Ti Lian Ker is still at the throat of Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and vice versa. The tourism minister has some truth in what he has to say. MCA has now 7 seats in the Parliament as compared to UMNO’s 88. The irony is that though MCA is a race based party, the votes came from Malay majority areas. Six of the seven seats that are held by MCA are from areas with a Malay majority exceeding 50%.
The one place where the Malays do not exceed 50% is Bentong, but still a majority at 45%. The fact of the matter is MCA is no longer relevant to the Chinese. They have no seats in Chinese majority areas, these seats have been given to DAP. I say given, because it is with MCA’s loss that DAP won.
Lian Ker went on the remind Nazri that he is a minister because of the wins by all component parties. MCA seems to envy UMNO but does not actually want to be associated with UMNO. Due to this rivalry, Lian Ker has brought fourth numerous secrets of the ruling coalition. Lian Ker has to be corrected though, because MCA together with MIC and Gerakan have less seats than PAS.
A coalition with PAS could see BN have more seats in the parliament. As the situation is, MCA is now fit for small talk rather than acting on major issues. Their stance on issues pertaining Islam are similar to that of DAP. In fact at times more vigorously in attempt to win Chinese support.
MCA seems to have become the complimentary for DAP of late. Both have had the same stance in many recent issues. Pertaining the Amendment to Act 164 both DAP and MCA have the same stance too. It seems that MCA knows for sure that they will not be gaining more seats in the next GE, and hence the fight to be seen championing the Chinese cause.
Lian Ker said that components had to save their leaders and bring them to “safe areas” to contest rather than fielding locals. This statement to me is an oxymoron, it does not make sense. Lian Ker gave the example of S. Subramaniam who contested in Segamat instead of his native Penang.
So Lian Ker is saying that because they had to save their leaders and place them in safe areas, hence local candidates could not contest? It does not make sense at all, if Subramaniam went to Segamat, then did an alien replace him in Penang where he was supposed to contest? Where was the local candidate from Penang then?
MCA has no ground to hold anymore, the more they struggle the deeper they sink. What MCA can do instead is to admit their mistakes, recognise the problems and move on from there. Arrogantly boasting and name calling other parties will not help. Especially for a party where the race that it sought to represent during independence is not interested in it anymore.
MCA has lost relevance as the representatives for the Chinese community here in Malaysia. The won 31 seats in 2004, 15 in 2008, and mrerely 7 in 2013, a failing trend one must say. Can we predict 3 seats in the next GE for MCA?
MCA in order to stay relevant, or to stay in politics has to represent the people who voted for them and not the party. As “wakil rakyat” they have to represent those who voted for them in order to stay relevant. Fighting for the populace that keeps them in power though barely is better than to loose them.
The Chinese don’t want MCA, and picking fight with the Malays will not help them either. It is best that they maintain the narrative of their locality rather than to bring forth their own agenda that is against the wishes of their voters.
The only way forth is to stay relevant, and to stay relevant they have to strive for those who keep them in power. MCA works for the people and not the other way around. Hopefully they will come to their senses before they loose it all.
Rehan Ahmad Bin Jamaluddin Ahmad, Research Fellow, Institut Kajian Strategik Islam Malaysia (IKSIM)
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, and should not be attributed to, Isma or Ismaweb.
