No News Is Bad News
Irrelevant political lapdog MCA continues to degrade
KUALA LUMPUR, May 22, 2023: MCA, a political lapdog in the Barisan Nasional (BN), remains a shameless and irrelevant party to Malaysians.
Soundly rejected by Malaysians in the last three general elections, it refuses to change and try to win back the confidence of Malaysians.
Instead, it continues to engages in partisan politics, resorting to political attacks, instead of trying to reinvent itself to show that they are relevant.
They should start from scratch and try to show they are still important in governance and socio-economic development by providing ideas and suggestion on how to unite Malaysians to progress the country.
To the MCA leaders, national unity and good governance take the back seat, only their own selfish political agenda matters, not the rakyat (people).
The latest MCA leaders to display their selfish irrelevant brand of politics are its vice-president Ti Lian Ker and secretary-general Chong Sin Woon.
Chong wants BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to focus on taking care of BN coalition partners after Zahid seemingly endorsed DAP candidates for the upcoming state elections.
Seemingly, MCA is not even aware of its irrelevance in Malaysian politics, and selfishly said Zahid should prioritise the component parties in BN and look after their interests, instead of PH and DAP’s.
This shows the MCA does not prioritise political and national unity for the rakyat and Malaysia in the face of threats from religious bigots led by the Taliban-like PAS and its ally Pakatan Nasional (PN) led by Muhyiddin Yassin.
MCA leaders should ask themselves why they have been soundly rejected by Malaysians in the ballots and a take remedial measures to remedy its political status.
As it is, the MCA is unable to win a single seat in Parliament in Chinese-majority seats after six decades of lapdog politics.
Surprisingly, Umno president Zahid and party leaders have responded with positive change after its most dismal showing in the 15th General Election (GE15) by prioritising political and national unity.
Even, DAP leaders are also responding positively after the PAS-threat and are setting aside their differences with long-time political foe Umno for national unity and counter threat and grow of religious bigots led by PAS.
The National Unity Government is led by Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below what Chong has to say about the Umno-DAP unity and an earlier posting on the same issue:
Take care of BN’s partners first, MCA man tells Zahid
Chong Sin Woon says Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should ‘stick to his principles’ after he asked members to endorse DAP candidates in the state polls.
FMT Reporters - 22 May 2023, 1:12pm
Chong Sin Woon said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should prioritise the interests of BN component parties instead of those in Pakatan Harapan.
PETALING JAYA: MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon wants Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to focus on taking care of BN coalition partners after Zahid seemingly endorsed DAP candidates for the upcoming state elections.
Chong said Zahid should “be careful” in all matters related to cooperation between BN and Pakatan Harapan, adding that he should also “stick to his principles”.
Former foes BN and PH are among the coalitions that form the unity government.
“As BN chairman, he should prioritise the component parties in BN and look after their interests, instead of PH and DAP’s,” Chong said in a statement today.
“Cooperation between BN and PH must be reciprocal and beneficial to both coalitions and their parties.”
Asked to elaborate, Chong told FMT he was referring to Zahid’s comments to the media on Saturday that Umno members are finding it hard to accept DAP as a partner in the Anwar Ibrahim administration.
The Umno president said he is ready to meet those who opposed the cooperation and explain its decision to work with DAP.
“In the past, BN voters supported MCA and MIC candidates. We will use the same method now, not voting based on party lines but out of a sense of togetherness in the unity government,” he was quoted as saying.
Zahid was commenting on Umno Supreme Council member Ahmad Maslan’s view that Umno members should put aside their personal views and consider voting for DAP candidates.
Ahmad said Umno members should vote for the DAP candidates, who will be contesting on a PH ticket, in the upcoming state elections as they represented the unity government and not the party itself.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said the party will reciprocate Umno’s call to back DAP by asking its supporters to support BN in the state polls.
He said it is only natural and logical for parties to support their allies in the unity government.
“It is a logical statement (by Ahmad). When we are working together, we will support each other. The same goes for DAP leaders in the state election campaigns. We will ask supporters to vote for BN, especially Umno.
“The cooperation is a must because we are not fighting each other. We thank Ahmad for helping us out,” Loke told reporters at Parliament.
DAP leaders to get supporters to vote for Umno in state polls, says Loke
By GERARD GIMINO, RAHIMY RAHIM and TEH ATHIRA YUSOF
Monday, 22 May 2023
12:50 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP leaders will work hard to persuade its supporters to vote for Umno candidates during the coming state elections, says Anthony Loke.
The DAP secretary-general said this would apply to all component parties in the unity government, of which Barisan Nasional and Umno are part of.
“When we work together in a coalition, component parties should support each other instead of fighting. We are not contesting against each other and will be campaigning for one another,” he told a press conference at Parliament on Monday (May 22).
Loke added that this is a message for other Pakatan Harapan component parties.
Loke was commenting on Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan’s recent statement that Umno supporters were urged to vote for DAP candidates in the coming state elections in a bid to strengthen the unity government.
Ahmad was quoted as saying this is the appropriate thing to do as Umno is part of the unity government.
“This is a logical statement and shouldn’t be considered an issue,” Loke added.
On Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement that it was “something abnormal” for Umno leaders to call on supporters to vote for DAP, Loke said the Bersatu president was also previously part of Pakatan.
“He may have forgotten that he was once with Pakatan and surely campaigned for us with Pakatan also campaigning for him,” he said.
On Muhyiddin, who also said that Perikatan could win up to 80% of votes in the coming state polls, Loke said the former prime minister was entitled to his own opinion.
“Anyone can say anything during campaigns. The people will determine the results,” he said.
Separately, Loke said that seat allocations among component unity government parties for the state polls would be finalised soon.
“Negotiations are still ongoing,” he added.
Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are due to hold their state elections later this year. - The Star
Sunday, 21 May 2023
‘Sour-grape’ MCA politicians
No News is Bad News
MCA could only do worse than what it had achieved 5 years ago, so much so that PM Najib had warned at MCA’s 64th annual general assembly last year that unless the Chinese party could win at least 15 parliamentary seats, which is a “mission impossible”, there’s no way the party can be rewarded with 3 cabinet posts, no matter how pariah the portfolios will be.
‘Sour-grape’ MCA politicians
KUALA LUMPUR, May 22, 2023: MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker is an irrelevant politician still stuck in 20th Century politics.
He should be asking himself why he and MCA have been soundly rejected by Malaysians instead of continuing with his and his party’s politics of just attacking political rivals, especially the DAP.
The reality is MCA had 60 years to proof itself as a reliable and responsible party for Malaysians. That would be working towards continuous progress in national unity and socio-economic growth.
Instead, it had chosen to just continue with its lapdog politics of curry favour with the ruling Umno in Barisan Nasional (BN) , thus eroding Malaysians’ confidence in MCA.
Today, it cannot even win a single seat in which the Chinese is a majority and its leaders now hold no position in the Anwar Ibrahim-led Unity Government (UG).
Just attacking DAP will not help MCA will back the confidence and trust of Malaysians in the ballot boxes. Instead, the MCA sounds like “sour grapes” in the progress of the UG, especially in the united efforts of Umno and DAP and the Anwar-led Pakatan Harapan (PH).
No Malaysian had visualised what is happening today - both Umno and DAP changing its political stance towards forging a UG for the sake of Malaysians, not race.
Just look how Umno and DAP leaders are championing the virtues of supporting each other to progress Malaysia for Malaysians?
And MCA wants to destroy this unity, hoping for a comeback to the corridors of power in politics. What a no brainer as it continues to dig its political grave deeper with its no-constructive actions and deeds for socio-economic development.
MCA leaders like Ti should come to their senses, accept political reality, and change to remain politically relevant to Malaysians.
The way to win back the confidence and trust of Malaysians is to stop politicking aimlessly and start contributing positively with ideas to progress Malaysia through good governance.
No News Is Bad News opines that that is just too much to ask of MCA, even after six decades of only providing political rhetoric in governance.
Here’s what Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported of “sour-grape politician” Ti and a financetwitter article on MCA’s leadership:
Growth of DAP, PAS shows need for unity, says Ti
MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker sees ‘grave implications’ in the emergence of PAS and DAP as the two biggest parties in opposing political blocs.
FMT Reporters - 21 May 2023, 10:16pm
Adversaries for decades, PAS and DAP were partners in Pakatan Rakyat until they split in 2015. They are now the two biggest individual parties in the Dewan Rakyat.
PETALING JAYA: A leader of MCA says the growth of long-time rivals PAS and DAP as the biggest political parties in opposing blocs has highlighted the need for national unity.
The rise of the two political blocs had revived fears and suspicion based on the parties’ past, said MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker.
He welcomed a call for unity raised by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, in a speech at the national unity week celebrations in Kuching earlier today.
The King said Malaysians should uphold unity as the country’s major asset, and reduce differences by bridging the racial and religious gaps among them.
Ti Lian Ker.
Ti said the King’s reminder to cooperate and cultivate positive thoughts and practices was apt.
He said there were grave implications in the rise of two political blocs dominated by PAS and DAP, which he described as “two divergent groups”. Their rise had come about as a result of factionalism in Umno and strategic political alliances made by the two parties, he said.
Their rise had “also inadvertently brought back the fears, suspicions and anxiety towards each other” as a result of past rhetoric, actions and posturing.
He said the two parties had postured themselves in the past as “representing the rural Malays extremism and the urban Chinese chauvinism”.
He added that Barisan Nasional’s downfall has also caused the independence-era ties between Umno, MCA and MIC to collapse, “giving way to more extremism”, which he said had also affected investor confidence.
From 7-Eleven To Extinction – With MCA Leaders Like Liow & Wee, Who Needs Enemies?
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March 19th, 2018 by financetwitter |
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MAR192018
During its heyday in the era of Malaysian First Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, MCA was given vital federal cabinet posts such Minister of Transport, Minister of Health, Minister of Labour and Social Affair and Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Posts. More importantly, MCA was also entrusted with Minister of Finance and Minister of Trade and Industry. G-7 Leaders in Japan
Clearly, MCA was once the most respected component party of the federal government under Tunku Abdul Rahman. But that’s water under the bridge. Today, MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) is a dying species waiting for extinction. The once glorified Chinese-based political party can only commands – three “pariah” cabinet posts.
Currently, MCA president Liow Tiong Lai is the transport minister, MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong is a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department while MCA secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan is the second minister of international trade and industry. If Prime Minister Najib Razak could have it his way, MCA should only have had one cabinet post.
Even though known as the lapdog of UMNO (the dominant party led by Najib Razak), MCA had always been able to win more than half of the federal and state seats it contested since it first competed in the elections in 1959, except in 1969 and 1990 elections – until the 2008 and 2013 tsunamis which swept the once biggest Chinese-based political party to oblivion.
In the first tsunami of 2008 started by ethnic-Indian, MCA, which is part of the governing Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, won 15 out of 40 parliamentary seats and 32 out of the 90 state seats it contested. At least they won a third of the seats. Unfortunately, the political landscape continued to change with the second tsunami, arguably the Chinese tsunami, in 2013 general election.
Five years ago in 2013, MCA only managed to win 7 out of 37 seats it contested – less than 20% success rate. The party also did horribly in the state seats, winning only 11 out of 90 seats – that’s 12% success rate. The 2013’s pathetic performance resulted with the now comical “7-11” moniker (seven MPs and 11 assemblymen). But even the 7-11 insult is fast slipping away.
MCA could only do worse than what it had achieved 5 years ago, so much so that PM Najib had warned at MCA’s 64th annual general assembly last year that unless the Chinese party could win at least 15 parliamentary seats, which is a “mission impossible”, there’s no way the party can be rewarded with 3 cabinet posts, no matter how pariah the portfolios will be.
In the same breath, Mr. Najib also warned the Chinese community not to complain about bias allocations to ethnic-Malay since the ethnic-Chinese refuse to vote for his government, never mind the Chinese are paying 90% of total income tax. MCA, under the leadership of Liow Tiong Lai and Wee Ka Siong, can only pray they could at least maintain their “7-11” status.
Since the humiliating defeat in 2013, Mr. Liow and Mr. Wee have done nothing but drawing salaries, perks and projects from their cabinet posts. They have pretended that 1MDB scandal was none of their business. They also dared not defend billionaire Robert Kuok when the Malaysian born tycoon was threatened, insulted and bullied by UMNO – until it was too late.
When MCA, despite having three cabinet portfolios, albeit pariah ones, could not even defend a philanthropist such as iconic Robert Kuok, how could the Chinese-based party defend ordinary Chinese community? Even against a lower ranking minister such as Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, both Liow and Wee have shown little courage.
Former MCA President Chua Soi Lek has finally spoken and he is right in condemning the leadership of Liow Tiong Lai and Wee Ka Siong. What little dignity which was left under Mr. Chua’s leadership was thrown out of the window by Mr. Liow and Mr. Wee. That small piece of “dignity” was Chua’s decision to not join the government if the party did poorer in 2013 election than in 2008.
Of course, the Chinese community had chosen to vote – as much as 90% – for opposition DAP despite Chua’s threat of having zero Chinese representatives in the cabinet, creating what is today mocked as “7-11” MCA party. Chua was subsequently defeated in December 2013 MCA party election. And what was the first thing that new MCA president Liow and deputy president Wee did?
Both greedy Liow and Wee quickly reversed the party’s initial decision to reject government posts. Had both leaders honoured the pledge, in the name of dignity, there’s a chance the party could do better in the next election. Chua was absolutely right when he said – “I think if MCA had insisted on staying out of the cabinet, we would have had more room to manouevre.”
Chua Soi Lek, himself was caught with his pants down bonking a woman friend in a hotel room 1301 of 4-star Katerina Hotel in Batu Pahat, Johor, back in 2008. But he was courageous enough to admit he was the man in a widely circulated sex video, a scandal of which some speculated was architected by none other than Liow Tiong Lai.
Delivering a punch to Liow’s leadership, Chua said – “If we had stayed out, then our political situation would be different today. Now the people blame MCA for everything because MCA is part of the government, this is the burden that we have to bear. If the party did not rejoin the cabinet back then, then we would have more room to express our opinions on current issues.”
What Mr. Chua meant was MCA could freely condemn not only UMNO warlords for playing racial issue with the respected Robert Kuok, but even premier Najib himself on the 1MDB scandal, had the party refused to make the U-turn. Essentially, without any interest in the government, UMNO can’t threaten, let alone insult, the leadership of MCA simply because the party would have nothing to lose.
Chua may sound like someone who has an axe to grind but like it or not, he’s right that MCA has shown neither courage nor political wisdom. Perhaps Liow and Wee thought the smart way to survive the political onslaught is to – hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil. But to the bully UMNO, such pretendence and ignorance are taken as a sign of weakness.
There’s a reason why UMNO thugs like Nazri Abdul Aziz, who demanded Robert Kuok to surrender his Malaysian passport and called the billionaire a “coward with no testicles”, has shown more respect for political opponent DAP than political ally MCA. The level which MCA leaders are willing to stoop in order to “kowtow” to UMNO just for some crumbs is just mind-boggling.
Liow and Wee’s subservience to political master UMNO is so despicable and extraordinary that even a badass Nazri has nothing but disgust. Clearly, Mr. Nazri, one of UMNO supreme council members, has zero respect for MCA. While Liow and Wee might think beggars can’t be choosers, Nazri considers the MCA leaders as stray dogs rather than precious pets such as poodles.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had openly criticised MCA for their failure to turn up at a Barisan Nasional vote-fishing campaign in Rembau. MCA president Liow dares not fight back. Now, Najib wants his aide Wong Nai Chee to represent MCA in Alor Gajah in the coming general election, interfering with seat allocations and obviously bulldozing the traditional power-sharing agreement.
As the second largest Barisan Nasional component, MCA should at least be allowed to mind their own internal affairs and have some sort of say in decision-making as far as seat allocations is concerned. Under Liow and Wee leadership, not only the big bully UMNO barge into MCA home and take away whatever they like, they also steal MCA’s lunch and even kiss Liow and Wee’s girlfriends.
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