MCA gets only two seats, where is BN’s sincerity?

PETALING JAYA: UMNO’s decision to allocate only two State Legislative Assembly seats to MCA for the upcoming Melaka State Election has raised questions about the sincerity of political cooperation within Barisan Nasional (BN).

PKR Vice-President Datuk Chang Lih Kang said the move raised questions about whether UMNO’s political cooperation with its component parties was based on principles and trust or merely driven by political interests and power.

He said if MCA, which had long been a BN component party, felt that it was not being respected, the situation also raised questions about how other parties cooperating with the coalition would be treated.

“Is this cooperation based on principles and trust, or merely political interests and power?” he said today.

Yesterday, MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said announcing candidates without prior consultation and agreement from the party was unacceptable, particularly when seats previously contested by MCA had allegedly been allocated to other parties.

He also claimed that MCA had not been informed in advance that the BN event at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) last night would include a candidate announcement, as the party had been told it was merely an election machinery launch.

MCA was allocated two seats for the Melaka State Election, namely Klebang and Machap Jaya, out of the 21 seats being contested by BN.

Meanwhile, PKR Women’s Deputy Chief Loh Ker Chean said she had no sympathy for MCA over the situation, arguing that the party should have already been familiar with UMNO’s treatment of its component partners.

In contrast, she said PKR, as a founding party of Pakatan Harapan (PH), did not adopt a dominant-party approach that bullied smaller coalition partners.

She said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had consistently practised a consultative and inclusive approach, including towards smaller parties such as the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) in the past.

“I don’t feel sorry for or sympathise with MCA. They brought this upon themselves. Surely they are familiar with UMNO’s poor treatment of them? That is why PH is stronger and more stable in governing the country,” she said.

In a related development, Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Information Chief Danish Hairudin said MCA’s reaction showed that the party had realised it was not being respected by its own coalition partner, UMNO.

He said UMNO was too focused on the possibility of securing short-term political gains through cooperation with PAS, to the extent that it had neglected the interests of MCA and MIC.

“This also raises questions about whether any coalition government involving UMNO and PAS would sideline the voices and interests of minority communities.

“The reality is that MCA and MIC collectively hold only three seats in the Dewan Rakyat and have no ministerial positions,” he said.

UTUSAN