WITH only three days to go before the Aug 12 six state polls, one cannot be blamed for wondering why MCA has chosen the most ungodly hours to portray itself as an unsung hero by belittling its long-time foe DAP.
Perhaps one should also be forgiven for assuming that the mono-ethnic component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) is colluding with the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) to throw spanner in the quest of the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) alliance to defend the three states of Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan from the green wave onslaught.
While DAP – despite having its fair share of shortcomings – seems to be able to let bygones be bygones, MCA is seemingly holding grudges and envy as evident by a recent media statement by its vice-president Senator Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker who described DAP as “having maintained dignified silence like a mouse on many pertinent issues and will avoid any public debates on policies, minority rights and interest”.
“Instead of speaking out or negotiating for political dividends and policy concessions in return for their political support (a conventional role that had been carried out by MCA in the past), DAP ministers in the Cabinet chose to sidestep all issues ‘Chinese’,” chastised the former youth and sports deputy minister.
“(This is) because they are sensitive and will not augur well for DAP as a political party which is ‘on its knees’ wooing and begging for Malay support and acceptance,”
For context, Ti’s comment came against the backdrop of Malaysian ambassador to the US and UMNO strongman Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz describing DAP as the party that represents the non-Malays in the country today – not MIC or MCA.
The UMNO supreme council member further opined that BN would struggle to attract non-Malay support if they depended on MCA and MIC.
“Last time, UMNO did not work with DAP but like it or not, now we must accept DAP as representing non-Malay interests,” justified the former Padang Rengas MP. “As long as we cradle (gendong) MCA and MIC, we will not get non-Malay support.”
Perhaps the truth hurts yet one cannot help not wondering if MCA should self-reflect if for the past 60 plus years it, too, has existed under (pardon for using distasteful words) the armpit of UMNO and obediently behaved as a stooge of the so-called BN tai ko (big brother).
One also cannot help wondering if Ti’s attack on DAP which boasts the highest seat count among component parties in the PH-BN alliance as evident by the outcome of the 15th General Election (GE15) is personal or otherwise.
Recall that on Sept 22 last year, Ti has pleaded with Malaysians to be forgiving to the health condition of incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak as “this is in line with the Islamic spirt of forgiveness” to which DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng challenged MCA to prove its allegations that the disgraced former Pekan MP was indeed suffering from torture behind bars at the Kajang Prison.
Taking one step further back, MCA must have forgotten the wise adage of people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Officially, in upholding the spirit of comradery within BN and more so not to antagonise UMNO, the party has been silent like a mouse at the height of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
For the record, Najib was eventually convicted of stealing RM42 mil from former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd and sent to prison on Aug 23 last year to serve a 12-year jail sentence. He was also fined RM210 mil and will have to serve another five years if he does not pay the amount.
In fact, to be seen condoning the 1MDB scandal is itself a major setback to MCA’s reputation in the eyes of even its most loyal supporters, forcing many to lose faith and eventually desert the party. MCA = Makes Chinese Angry? – Aug 9, 2023
