Race on for MCA leaders who can stand up to Umno

Race on for MCA leaders who can stand up to Umno

That headline speaks volumes about the the delusional leadership & members of MCA. This is testament to how far the party is disconnected with the community it claims to represent.

1. MCA is a part of BN. UMNO is the leader of BN.

2. If you need to stand up to the leader of your group, who happens to be the dominant partner, then what is the point of staying in BN?

3. MCA will never be on par with UMNO within BN. It is unrealistic.

I would like to ask the MCA leaders, and to a certain extent the delegates, members and supporters:

1. What have you guys been smoking?

2. Ask yourselves this: What benefits/contribution can you offer the Chinese community and the nation? What is your role in BN and the government? If UMNO is seen as a big bully in BN, what makes you think that you have any clout over them? What is your role in the government anyway?

3. Next, please take a good look at your candidates, especially for the top 2 posts. Do you really expect anyone with a normal functioning mind to believe that they are even close to this? ->

4. Most importantly, do you guys actually think that it is all about you, standing up to big brother?

Honestly, I see the MCA's prospects getting dimmer by the day. If this is all you guys can muster, there is no hope. Among the contenders for the top 2 posts, Ong Tee Keat has the most appeal to the Chinese electorate in general.

What drives 95% of a community to throw their support to a coalition comprising of a Chinese party led by Christians, an Islamic party, and a personal cult party? It seems to me the people in MCA haven't the slightest clue. MCA is grasping at straws, looking out for their own interests. The ministerial, government positions and party assets are too tempting to pass over.

I believe MCA's grassroots support is still intact, up to a certain degree... but national issues tend to eclipse party loyalty and traditional voting trends. The keywords are still education & economy, both which are apparently in a mess.

MCA should not take up minister posts!

It's called having a backbone... At least one of the 3 contenders have openly declared his intention of doing so. If they do, this will be their last term.

The result of the years of blaming & using the Chinese as a scapegoat by UMNO especially with the intense and vicious Chinese bashing after the 13th GE which continues to this day, is irreversible. The days of MCA even trying to stand up for the Chinese is long gone. We have crossed the threshold. The politicians have done it in. In my mind, I have no doubt that the original spirit of BN, or whatever was left of it, has officially died. UMNO does not want you anymore...

The consequence resulting from the current political developments appears to escape most people in the country. The future Malaysia will be one which religion, Islam specifically, will play a central role in government as well as politics. The Malays, as opposed to popular assumption of being more united, will actually be more divided, politically & socially. When the Malays are divided & fight among themselves, the minorities will suffer. Religious & social class differences will be the undercurrent driving national issues. As usual, the Malays will blame the Chinese, and vice versa, with the Indians positioned at the ringside.

The next GE, the Chinese voters will be much lesser than the last one. Many will not even bother to vote. I don't expect the Chinese to participate in any rallies or protests in large numbers anymore. They are fed-up.

The Chinese, if they are smart, should be neutral and not take sides. Place more emphasis on your spiritual well-being. Reconnect with your culture & religion. Think rationally rather that emotionally.

Take the middle way. And hopefully, things will find a balance. 

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KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — The hunt for a strong, decisive leader in MCA kicked off today with delegates seeking a chief who is able to rise from under the shadow of Umno and place the Chinese party on par again with its Barisan Nasional (BN) partner, after a humiliating performance in the 13th general election this year.

At the close of nominations, three hopefuls were confirmed to be in the running for the president’s hat: maverick one-term former chief Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat; incumbent deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai; and incumbent vice-president Gan Ping Sieu.

The results of who will take the top post will only be known after the party votes this weekend, but delegates at the large nomination hall within the MCA’s headquarters with whom The Malay Mail Online spoke with today seemed to have firm opinions on the man who can revitalise their flagging spirits and put a fresh wind in their ship to win back support from Malaysia’s sizeable Chinese community.

“In these challenging times, the best pair would be Ong Tee Keat, with number two, Wee Ka Siong.

“My view is that these two are the most articulate... strong, decisive and they are fighters,” Tan Foong Luen said, when approached.

The Negri Sembilan MCA legal bureau chairman voiced the sentiment that has been bubbling beneath the party’s surface these past few month since the May polls, and which its grassroots members have found to have chafed their pride.

“A lot of Umno people have ventilated very damaging statements against MCA,” he said.

He added that whoever among the trio was picked as captain should be able to stand up to both Umno leaders to the opposition force.

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) bloc, especially the Chinese-dominant DAP, had succeeded in wresting bigger support this year, especially from the ethnic Chinese voters who resided mainly in the cities.

This is despite Datuk Wee Ka Siong who is nominated as the deputy is a strong backer of Liow, while Datuk Donald Lim, another contender for the number two post is aligned with Gan.

Wee was outspoken in his support for Liow especially during outgoing president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s attempt to censure his estranged deputy in October.

Another delegate however said both Liow and Gan have 45 per cent chances of winning the top post, while Ong only has 10

He was also hopeful that the new leadership would unite MCA members, while admitting it would be an extremely challenging task.

Meanwhile, the Wanita chief race is between Datuk Heng Seai Kie and Tan Ching Liang.

Heng is Perak Wanita Chief while Tan lost in her bid for the Penang Wanita chief post last month.

The race for the Youth chief is between Chong Sin Woon and Datuk Goh Gaik Meng.

Chong is the national youth education bureau chief while Goh is the Batu Youth Chief.

The Youth election will be on Thursday, while Wanita elections will be on Friday.

The MCA election for the top leadership will be on Saturday, followed by the annual general assembly the next day.

All eyes will be on the race as one of the outcomes could be the reversal of the previous presidential council’s decision to reject Cabinet positions.

Delegates who spoke to The Malay Mail Online said it is crucial to have MCA representatives in the Cabinet to be able to look our for the interests of the Chinese community.

One party leader who declined to be named lamented, however, that the Chinese should have voted for the party in the 13th General Election if they truly wanted representatives in the top Cabinet posts.

The party’s political fortunes has been on a decline since 2008 but eyes continue to watch developments at the head of the party as it entails control over the billions of ringgit in assets and shares that include Malaysia’s best-selling English language newspaper, The Star.

MCA only won seven of the 37 federal constituencies it contested in Election 2013 with two of these coming from Wee and Liow.

Dr Chua sat out the polls although his son, Tee Yong, won the Malay-majority Labis federal seat.

The Chinese, Malaysia’s second biggest community voted for the opposition.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/race-on-for-mca-leaders-who-can-stand-up-to-umno#sthash.Gnw7Qcch.dpuf