MCA must become multiracial party to survive, says leader

MCA must become multiracial party to survive, says leader

Ching Chong

5 May, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S largest Chinese-based party must become multiracial or risk extinction, a top official said, tacitly acknowledging that the opposition coalition is gaining ground with its message of equality for all.

Datuk Ong Tee Keat, vice-president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), said his suggestion would probably 'raise the eyebrows' of conservative members.

But he said he would not change his mind.

'I am strongly convinced that this is the way out for the party,' Datuk Ong, who is also Malaysia's transport minister, said in an interview with the Bernama news agency.

Malaysia's race-based political system was delivered a stinging blow in March 8 elections when a loose multiracial opposition grouping made unprecedented gains.

The grouping, which has since formalised into the Pakatan Rakyat, or the People's Alliance, won 82 seats in the 222-member Parliament by promising to treat all ethnic communities equally.

The Pakatan is made up of the Malay-led but multi-ethnic Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party and conservative Parti Islam SeMalaysia.

The ruling 14-party Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, of which the MCA is a member, lost its traditional two-thirds majority in its worst polls performance.

The Chinese, Malaysia's largest minority, are mainly represented in the BN by the MCA, while the Indians, the second-largest minority, are represented by the Malaysian Indian Congress.

But Chinese and Indian minorities have increasingly complained that their parties are losing voice and are snubbed by the dominant BN partner, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno).

Umno claims to represent Malays, who form 60 per cent of the population, but many Malays voted for the opposition this time because of corruption allegations against the government.

Some Umno leaders have also understood the implications of the March 8 vote.

Veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah last week pressed ahead with his vision of turning Umno into a national party that goes beyond purely Malay interests.

Datuk Ong said: 'The race-based party concept, knowingly or unknowingly...had compartmentalised our role.

'This means that if you are a Chinese-based party, you deliver the Chinese votes. If you are an Indian-based party, you deliver the Indian votes, and if one talks about Malay votes, you leave it to Umno.'

Many political commentators have suggested that the BN should become a non-racial party if it wants to compete with the Pakatan in the next elections.

'We need to project a multi-racial outlook and multiracial approach to handle the people's concerns,' Datuk Ong was quoted as saying.

He said the shift should not be difficult for MCA members.

The party has 'never been mono-ethnic in serving the public, but only our focus is more often than not attached to the rights of the Chinese community', he said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS