Latest news with #Puad
Malaysiakini
a day ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Puad tells Bar to swap street protests with parliamentary parleys
Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi criticised the Malaysian Bar for holding their "Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence" protest in Putrajaya, saying it was unbecoming of their image as legal practitioners. In a statement today, Puad said the group should have taken a different approach instead, like calling for a meeting with the government, to voice out their concerns over an ongoing judicial scandal.
Malaysiakini
a day ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Puad tells Bar to swap street protests with parliamentary parleys
Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi criticised the Malaysian Bar for holding their "Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence" protest in Putrajaya, saying it was unbecoming of their image as legal practitioners. In a statement today, Puad said the group should have taken a different approach instead, like calling for a meeting with the government, to voice out their concerns over an ongoing judicial scandal.
The Star
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Time to restore party's strength
Keeping the 'house' strong: (from left) Wee, Chong and Mike Chong say they are genuinely concern for the coalition's future. PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional leaders should refocus on the coalition's survival and revival rather than diverting attention or relying heavily on other parties for political continuity, says MCA. Its vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng said recent remarks by MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon regarding Barisan's lack of clear direction were rooted in genuine concern for the coalition's future, not intended to assign blame. 'His statement reflects the aspirations of MCA's grassroots. As the party's secretary-general, it is Chong's duty to convey these voices to fellow component parties,' said the Tanjung Piai MP in a statement. Wee's comments came following criticism from Umno supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who accused MCA of faulting Barisan without engaging in self-reflection. Puad had responded to Chong's earlier call for MCA to take charge of its destiny should Barisan continue to delay setting a clear direction for the coalition. 'We sympathise with MCA. However, MCA should not blame Barisan for this. MCA must ask itself: why has support for the party from the Chinese community declined? 'Why did MCA win only two (parliamentary) seats in the 15th General Election? This has nothing to do with Barisan,' Puad said in a Facebook post. However, Wee reiterated MCA's position that Barisan must define a clear direction, as the coalition remains the ideal choice for Malaysians. 'All of the Barisan component parties including Umno, MCA and MIC must rebuild their confidence in the coalition and work diligently towards its recovery, rather than continuing to rely on external parties, which ultimately weakens Barisan's strength and principles,' he added He also said that party president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had repeatedly stressed in his speeches during party gatherings and celebrations that MCA's current priority is to strengthen the party and restore Barisan's standing. This, he added, demonstrated MCA's continued loyalty as a coalition partner and its commitment to working with other component parties to regain public support. 'MCA firmly believes that Barisan's multiracial power-sharing model and its practice of moderate, inclusive politics remain the most realistic and effective approach for governing a plural society. 'This approach not only preserves racial harmony and social stability, but also drives national development and prosperity. 'In reality, any governing political coalition would inevitably adopt the coalition's model,' he said. MCA Youth deputy chief Mike Chong has called on Puad to engage in self-reflection and return to upholding the spirit of Barisan instead of relying on others purely for political survival. He added that Puad's remarks appeared to lean in favour of Pakatan Harapan than with efforts to rebuild Barisan, warning that this risks dismantling the 'house' that had been built long before the country's independence. 'This is why MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon stressed that Barisan lacks a clear direction. His statement also reflects the voice of the majority of Barisan grassroots members. 'Puad should not continue to ignore the grassroots. Doing so will only weaken Barisan and alienate more of its members.' Chong added that the coalition must confront real concerns raised by members of the coalition including Umno, whether Barisan should continue to bow and rely on others or instead, fully deliberate and decide its own path forward, focusing on efforts to revive Barisan as a leading political force once again. 'Even Puad himself has said that Barisan must uphold the values of moderation that it has long practised. 'The question is, can Puad honestly say that his new allies, especially those from DAP, uphold those same values of moderation? Or are they still deeply entrenched in the politics of extremism and destruction?' Chong said.
The Star
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
MCA reminds BN leaders to focus on coalition's survival, revival instead of relying on others
PETALING JAYA: MCA reminds Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders to focus on the coalition's survival and revival instead of diverting attention or relying excessively on other parties for political continuity. MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng said recent remarks by MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon about Barisan's lack of a clear direction were grounded in genuine concern for the coalition's future, not intended to assign blame. 'His statement reflects the aspirations of MCA's grassroots. As the party's secretary-general, it is Chong's duty to convey these voices to fellow component parties,' said the Tanjung Piai MP in a statement Thursday (May 1). Wee's comments came in response to criticism by Umno supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who had accused MCA of faulting BN without self-reflection. Puad was responding to Chong who had recently urged MCA to take charge of its destiny if Barisan continued to drag its feet over a clear direction for the coalition. 'We sympathise with MCA. However, MCA should not blame BN for this. MCA must ask itself: why has support for the party from the Chinese community declined? "Why did MCA win only two (parliamentary) seats in the 15th General Election (GE15)? This has nothing to do with Barisan,' Puad said in a Facebook post. Wee also reiterated that MCA's stance is that Barisan must define a clear direction as the coalition remains the ideal choice for Malaysians. 'All of Barisan component parties, including Umno, MCA and MIC must rebuild their confidence in the coalition and work diligently towards its recovery, rather than continuing to rely on external parties, which ultimately weakens Barisan strength and principles.' Wee also added that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, in several of his speeches during party gatherings and celebrations, had repeatedly stressed that MCA's current priority is to strengthen the party and restore Barisan's position. This, he said, demonstrated MCA's continued loyalty to its role as a component party and its commitment to working with coalition partners to regain public support. 'MCA firmly believes that Barisan's multiracial power-sharing model, and its practice of moderate, inclusive politics, remains the most realistic and effective approach for governing a plural society. This approach not only preserves racial harmony and social stability but also drives national development and prosperity. In reality, any governing political coalition would inevitably adopt the coalition's model,' he said. MCA Youth deputy chief Mike Chong has also called on Puad to engage in self-reflection and return to the right path upholding the spirit of Barisan rather than relying on others purely for personal survival. He added that Puad's remarks appeared to lean in favour of Pakatan Harapan, rather than aiming to restore Barisan, and risk dismantling the "house" that has been built since before the country's independence. 'This is why MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon stressed that Barisan lacks a clear direction. His statement also reflects the voice of the majority of Barisan grassroots members. Puad should not continue to ignore the grassroots. Doing so will only weaken BN and alienate more of its members. 'What Puad needs to confront is the genuine concern among coalition members including Umno members about whether Barisan should continue to bow and rely on others, or instead fully deliberate and determine its future direction, focusing on efforts to revive BN as a leading political force once again. 'Even Puad himself has said that Barisan must uphold the values of moderation and values that has long practised. The question is, can Puad honestly say that his new allies, especially those from DAP, uphold those same values of moderation? Or are they still deeply entrenched in the politics of extremism and destruction?' Mike asked.
Free Malaysia Today
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Be honest with yourself and stick with BN, Puad tells MCA
Rengit assemblyman Puad Zarkashi said MCA should focus on its roles and positions in Johor, Melaka, Perak, and Pahang to win back voter support. PETALING JAYA : An Umno leader has urged MCA to remain a loyal partner in Barisan Nasional (BN) and to reflect on its declining support from the Chinese community. Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi was responding to MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon who had urged the party to take charge of its destiny if BN continued to drag its feet over a clear direction for the coalition. 'We sympathise with MCA. However, MCA should not blame BN for this. 'MCA must ask itself: why has support for the party from the Chinese community declined? Why did MCA win only two (parliamentary) seats in the 15th general election (GE15)? This has nothing to do with BN,' Puad said in a Facebook post. MCA's two parliamentary seats – Ayer Hitam and Tanjung Piai – were won by party president Wee Ka Siong and vice-president Wee Jeck Seng respectively. Puad said BN had contested alone at the nationwide polls in 2022 and only joined forces with Pakatan Harapan (PH) and others later to form the unity government. The Rengit assemblyman also said Johor MCA Youth chief Heng Zhi Li was even more misguided for saying that the BN-PH cooperation was damaging Umno's future. 'Umno's real decline began after BN's defeat in the 2018 general election – and Umno did not blame BN. 'Umno has since made a comeback. If anyone wants to claim that the party is in decline, look at the by-elections in Nenggiri, Mahkota, and Ayer Kuning. That's why MCA needs to remain resilient,' Puad said. Heng yesterday said that PH was not saving BN but dismantling it from within, and that blind cooperation would only render BN parties politically irrelevant. He said recent comments by Johor Umno Youth chief Noor Azleen Ambros – who criticised Chong for urging the Chinese-based party to chart its own path – put BN in a 'lower and subordinate position'. Puad urged MCA to focus on its roles and positions in Johor, Melaka, Perak, and Pahang. 'Prove your excellence and win back public support,' he said. 'Umno will continue to defend BN. MCA, MIC, and Friends of BN remain Umno's loyal partners. The BN-PH cooperation is for the people's welfare and to ensure a stable government.' He also said the path forward for BN was clear: the coalition must prove that it listens to the advice of the Malay Rulers, remains committed, and upholds moderation.
