MCA has hit rock bottom and is no longer a political force to be reckoned with.
The same can be said about the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which the Chinese-centric party is a part of. Its survival today is thanks only to the lifeline extended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in forming his ‘unity government’.
Political analyst Associate Professor Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk insists it makes little difference if MCA remained with BN or decides to go on its own. This is because the party’s electoral performance has deteriorated over the years “and it just keeps going downhill”.
“MCA needs to go back to the drawing board and ask itself the hard questions … does it still want to continue with BN, or go on its own?
“They only have two representatives in Parliament. It’s no longer the party the Chinese community looks up to … and to win back political support is no easy feat.”
MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, and Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng won the Ayer Hitam and Tanjung Piai parliamentary seats respectively in the last general election, held on Nov 19, 2022.
Azeem, who is director of the Centre for Policy Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, was commenting on Wee’s speech during the party’s 70th annual general meeting (AGM) over the weekend. Wee had said, among others, that MCA was prepared to chart its own path if any party in BN decides to form new ties and abandon its current allies in the coalition. He added that MCA was ready to go “independent”, even if it meant starting all over again.
Following the results of the 15th General Election, Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition, comprising PKR, DAP and Amanah, went on to forge an alliance with BN – a coalition that they had bitterly fought against, prior to the national polls.
“We need to be aware that the unity government is a coalition formed after the election. There can’t be two parties competing for the same electorate, and not have political differences,” said Azeem, in reference to DAP and MCA.
“MCA is seen as weak by DAP, and DAP doesn’t take MCA seriously. DAP is, after all, the strongest party in the PH coalition, based on the number of seats won (40) in GE15.
“Despite having a really good public complaints bureau and a university (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman), MCA, over the years and decades, had still failed to win the votes. It is not a non-governmental organisation but a political party, and it needs to act like one.”
Azeem said MCA had several options ahead of it. It has to make a wise choice to ensure it remains politically relevant in Malaysia.
“It needs to decide once and for all … to be independent, remain with BN and the unity government, or join forces with Perikatan Nasional. There are political options, but it needs to find one that would eventually help the party win votes and inch its way back into mainstream politics.”
Main image: Wee Ka Siong / Facebook
