MCA needs to move on, cannot rely on BN – Analyst
SHAH ALAM - MCA needs to move on and rebuild its strength if it wants to remain relevant after experiencing its worst defeat in history, winning only two out of 70 contested parliamentary seats in the recent 15th General Election (GE15).
This move is crucial because their heyday, from 1995 to 2004, has come to an end.
Sunway University Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN-Asia) Asia Office Deputy Chief Professor Wong Chin Huat stated that the mission and leadership challenges of MCA, led by its President Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, now revolved around finding the best way to remain relevant, even though they cannot be separated from the reinvention of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN).
"Some have proposed that MCA leave Umno and join the Perikatan Nasional (PN), but that will only weaken MCA further.
"If Chinese voters want to support PN, the Gerakan will have won many seats in GE15 and the previous state elections.
“If MCA joins PN, it will suffer the same fate as Gerakan," he said.
Wong added that MCA could only make a comeback if BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) could compete fairly for parliamentary and state seats again, challenging PN in areas where both parties had an equal presence in the upcoming general elections.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Chinese Studies Huayan Policy Institute Centre Academic Director Associate Professor Dr Chang Yun Fah said that MCA should not continue being a ‘yes man’ to the unity government.
Instead, they should remain with Umno-BN and reject any cooperation with PN to regain relevance in Malaysian politics.
"MCA also needs to have the courage to contest in all majority Chinese areas, regardless of winning or losing," he said when asked whether the new leadership of MCA, led by Wee, could bring the party out of the dark times into the future.
He said that as long as MCA was with DAP, they would find it difficult to secure ‘safe seats’ to contest unless Umno was willing to hand them over safe majority Malay parliamentary seats.
