Not right for MCA to abandon BN now, says former vice-president

Free Malaysia Today

2 days ago

Former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker said party members are increasingly feeling that they had been left in the lurch by BN lynchpin Umno. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : A former MCA vice-president said it would be 'irresponsible' for the party to abandon Barisan Nasional in its current state, but felt the party should strive to win seats in the next general election without relying on its allies.
Ti Lian Ker said BN was currently enduring a difficult time as its irrelevance among the non-Malay voters, who no longer buy into race-based politics, continued to grow.
However, he said, the reality was that race and religious-based politics remained a dominant feature in the country's political landscape.
Such a trend was evidenced by the growing popularity of PAS and the emergence of the likes of parties such as Bersatu, Amanah, and Pejuang.
Ti said MCA should assert its own direction in view of the fact that members were increasingly feeling that they had been left in the lurch by BN lynchpin Umno.
He said MCA members were of the view that Umno was favouring DAP, the party's bitter rival.
'As it stands, it seems that MCA is being pushed to the corner and doing what needs to be done in order to survive,' he told FMT.
Ti had in April compared MCA and Umno to a troubled marriage involving an estranged wife and runaway husband.
He was commenting on a report by a Chinese daily that Kuantan MCA would propose that a vote be carried out during divisional meetings in June on whether discussions should be held on quitting BN.
Ti, who is the Kuantan MCA chief, rubbished the report, saying no such proposal had been made.
The former deputy minister said it would be reckless for MCA to quit BN, which was founded on the spirit of multiculturalism, accommodation and inclusiveness.
He said BN emphasised tolerance, consensus-building and co-existence, principles that were put into practice after Malaya achieved independence, and the subsequent formation of Malaysia.
'Therefore, it will be irresponsible for MCA to leave BN and what it stood for after decades of political stability and growth.
'MCA must remain in BN to ensure that these principles are upheld,' he said.
Ti had admitted last month that MCA was currently at a crossroads, as the party must decide whether to remain in BN and be satisfied with 'crumbs thrown its way', or break away to forge its own path at the risk of losing everything.
He had said that by continuing in BN, MCA might end up proving DAP's claim that the party had always been subservient to Umno. This, he said, would tarnish the party's image and credibility.
While he believes that MCA must not quit BN, Ti said the party needed a 'reset' and must be prepared to stand on its own in the event Umno opted to collaborate with DAP in the long run.