by Stanley Koh
Free Malaysia Today
April 8, 2013
A party strongman pleads for voters’ mercy, but some people believe that hypocrisy, fraud and tyranny are unpardonable.
COMMENT
Not for the first time in its recent history, MCA is now reduced to begging for votes.
“I hope the people will give us some votes. Don’t make us eat egg,” party vice-president Donald Lim said in a recent interview with Oriental News Daily, a Chinese language online newspaper.
He claimed that MCA, despite its disastrous showing in the 2008 election, had spent the last five years working hard to regain voter support, implying that it deserved pity, if not appreciation.
Lim’s plea was directed primarily at voters in Selangor, where he is MCA’s state liaison chief, but the humble pie he ate came from the same oven that baked the one Ong Ka Chuan felt compelled to swallow just before the 2008 election, when he was the party’s secretary-general.
Addressing voters in Perak’s Kinta Valley, Ong said: “If you have five people in your household, I plead with you to give one vote to MCA.”
According to English theologian Frederick William Robertson (1816-1853), there are three things that deserve no mercy: hypocrisy, fraud and tyranny.
Many of MCA’s detractors would say that the party has been guilty of all three sins.
In 1986, the party’s think-tank pointed out the need for electoral reforms, arguing that Barisan Nasional’s gerrymandering of electoral constituencies made a mockery of the one-man-one-vote principle.
What has MCA, as Umno’s oldest partner in BN, done to press for reform from this unjust system? Nothing.
The party’s leaders have not lifted a finger in defence of democratic values, but have certainly been raising their hands in support of constitutional amendments to legalise and perpetuate this injustice. They did this in 1973 and again in 1994.
Current party president Dr Chua Soi Lek has even openly rejected accusations that the electoral system was unfair and accused Pakatan Rakyat and polls watchdog Bersih of lying about irregularities in the voter rolls.
Special relationship
Yet Chua, who has sat in many MCA steering committees over the years, is fully aware that the party leadership has been working in cahoots with Umno, which has a special relationship with the Election Commission.
The minutes of MCA meetings on the delineating of constituencies over the years would give ample proof that the party’s state leaders have been working hand in glove with the various chief ministers and menteris besar to preserve BN’s strategic election interests.
Instead of answering the public’s call for fairness and a just electoral system, the MCA has been ditching democratic principles and values for its own interests.
In 2001, when Chinese NGOs and community leaders pleaded with the party leadership not to acquire Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press, did MCA listen? Did it care for the Chinese community’s interest in the strengthening of democratic institutions, including a free press?
Chua, who was then a member of the party’s central committee, fully supported the move to acquire the Chinese newspapers.
Last month, commenting on DAP’s strategy of moving its representatives out of their traditional seats, Chua said they were “running away” because they had failed to serve their constituents.
Has he forgotten about the 1990 general election, when then party president Dr Ling Liong Sik shifted from Bagan to Labis?
At the time of Ling’s switch, Chinese voters made up 63% of the Bagan electorate, but only 46% in Labis. He did win in Labis, but only 15% of the Chinese voted for him.
It is already common knowledge that MCA cannot survive without the support of the Malays, or rather Umno, as figures from past general elections indicate. No wonder many current MCA leaders behave as if they owe more gratitude to Umno leaders than to the voting public.
A political image is like a cement mix, according to American politician Walter Mondale. “When it’s wet, you can move it around and shape it. But at some point in time, it hardens and there’s almost nothing you can do to reshape it.”
This is the predicament facing MCA. The voting support from the Chinese community is at its weakest, and the public is eager to see whether the party will, as Chua has pledged, withdraw from active governance in the event that it performs worse than in 2008.
If MCA has been deaf to the public’s pleading against its support of the hundreds of constitutional amendments that facilitate power abuse, why should the public now listen to its pleas?
As a consolation to Donald Lim, we should remind him that eggs are nutritious, after all. Utter defeat may be just what MCA needs in order to reform itself.
Stanley Koh is a former head of MCA’s research unit. He is now a FMT columnist.
This scenario could only happen in Malaysia politic. MCA know exactly what the Chinese community is asking for but they simply have no real power to do so. People like OTK who has try to work on PKFZ but fail miserably due to the fact that MCA leaders were a party there and also involve its component party’s leader, so MCA give out and get OTK boot out.
MCA currently lead by CSL is also make this party going doom faster than ever, simply CSL though speak straight but with his sex vcd scandal will be hold ransom politically.
MCA is heading to doom and it will probably after coming GE
For the incident of this soiled leg acquiring Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press inspite of plea from the public, this is good enuf reason to kick out MCA. MCA is siding with the dark force to bring MAlaysia to the dark age ! This is unforgivable !
Pity Mca,are you serious?I wouldn’t shed crocodile tears even if the party get decimated this coming GE.The leaders have sold out the community by being running dogs of Umno.
With Chuah Soi Lek as president of Mca,the party deserve to get decimated.A duck’s egg will serve them right.
Pity? Did they pity others when they partnered with UMNO to steal billions and kept silent when they were privy to UMNO’s systematic capacity war against the non-Malays? They not only did not pity others, they jump in with them the reckless excessive indulgences of UMNO?
There is no such thing as compromises with throwing out eunuchs in reform. They HAVE TO GO FIRST even before we get to culprit of the corrupt imperial UMNO..
Mca is the first major political party in Malaysia to have a president who have no control of his “birdie”.
Why pitty them ? When OTK trying to do something right on the PKNZ – MCA take him out. MCA deserve this treatment from Rakyat. The only way MCA can survive is to breakaway from BN, then they stand a chance or else ask them to fly kite.
How to pity Mca,when its president have no say whether he is a winnable candidate.He is powerless,just a barking mongrel with no teeth.
NO PITY.
Dear Chinese and all Malaysians, this time we should annihilate MCA and it is for their own good. They can then rise from the ashes and help built a Malaysian Malaysia NOT base on race.
They have been self serving, helping themselves and family to the riches, and abandoning us. Led by a criminal in waiting, they cannot help us, anymore.
NO PITY. JUST GET RID OF ALL OF THEM.
We must change the tenant at Putrajaya. GE 13 is coming. Let us all work very hard. Get all eligible to vote. make every vote count. First to GE 13, then to Putrajaya.
Change we must. Change we can. Change we shall.
Pity is only for the deserving. These clowns have sacrificed principles set down by their original founders. People like Tan Cheng Lock and Tan Siew Sin would be turning in their graves watching the antics of Donald Lim, Chua Soiled Lek, Ng Yen Yen. They deserve to be consigned to history.
Now they are begging UMNO too….Chua dare not contest against Kit, so he tells UMNO they can have the Gelang Patah seat. What type of leadership is this ? Trying to exchange Gelang Patah for a safer seat, which means a constituency with majority Malay voters ? Why does UMNO need you then ? I can assure readers here that UMNO has no pity on MCA either.
CSL is one huge burden to MCA and BN.
Who did you see beating the chinese drum, donging red chongsam during CNY? did you see CSL.
Did you see CSL’s face in BN billboard in Chinese area or any other area?
Najib had headed the MCA for so long, without MCA noticed it. Does MCA still a political force in M’sia? where has MCA gone, hiding under Umno’s sarong?.
How could CSL justify MCA existence, survival, with excuse of ‘winnable candidates’? giving out seats to Umno. Even in MCA fortress, Gelang Patah, MCA bed for Umno’s Gani for rescue.
CSL is one huge burden to MCA and BN.
Who did you see beating the chinese drum, donging red chongsam during CNY? did you see CSL.
Did you see CSL’s face in BN billboard in Chinese area or any other area?
Najib had headed the MCA for so long, without MCA noticed it. Does MCA still a political force in M’sia? where has MCA gone, hiding under Umno’s sarong?.
How could CSL justify MCA existence, survival, with excuse of ‘winnable candidates’? giving out seats to Umno. Even in MCA fortress, Gelang Patah, MCA beg Umno’s Gani for rescue.
Pity? You do not beg for votes. You need to earn your votes by working for the Chinese community and NOT working for yourself to line your pockets with riches. For 56 yrs, MCA did nothing while the Chinese suffer and they were silent when UMNO threatens and abused the community.
We are still talking about education until the cow comes home. Every time there is a request for a Chinese school, we need to move heaven and hell to get just 1 Chinese school approved, something which was supposed to be guaranteed under the constitution.
Where was MCA’s voice when Tanda Putera was screened privately? And now you plead for votes? MCA had their chance these past 56 yrs and they have proven to be impotent in looking after the Chinese community. It is now time to give others a chance.
The MCA is so impotent and ineffective that it does not matter whether the Chinese is represented in govt or not. It really makes no difference whether MCA is there or not. MCA do not deserve any sympathy votes. Every vote counts to effect a change in govt.
For the past decades, the Chinese shouted and complained about various issues and nothing happens. People have tried all means and ways just to be heard. Even if you go to court, nothing happens. And NOW with the stroke of a pen, we can change all that. The pen is mightier than the sword.
Time for change!
Last year they ask 1 out of 5. This year they simply ask don’t give us egg(zero). MCA has doom to be a beggar party. Beggar party is influential and all with deep kungfu in ancient China history but not this beggar party in Malaysia other wise they will not be in today state of affair. It is all they ask for it.
You now reap what you sowed earlier on mca. If you still have any ounce of sense and conscience, leave umno.
The only way is to leave Umno Baru. The real Umno by Tunku had gone the moment it’s declared illegal. You’re now with extremist Umno!!!
Should we pity MCA?
No way!!! Send those suckers, ball-carriers, lickers and etc to hell. They only care about themselves and their own families…
Can you trust the political party headed and led by the leader with sex scandal? Only those suckers do so…
Chua SOLD Dad will perform another acts soon in hell…
Pity MCA,….. NO WAY! but pity those align with the party.
MCA – spineless eunuch clutching at straws to survive in politics, barking dogs only without performance.
Being under BN, a stumbling block to voice out & implement changes, no representation of chinese community anymore.
Good riddance to MCA .
” by bruno on Monday, 8 April 2013 – 11:29 am
With Chuah Soi Lek as president of Mca,the party deserve to get decimated.A duck’s egg will serve them right.”
bruno,
Ostrich Egg can also be acquired in Malaysia nowadays.
I would feel ‘sorry’ for MCA, but not pity.
When you go to wet markets in the morning, you will see many beggars, some without forehands, some with the legs amputated below the knee.
These beggars reflect a ‘poor’ image for Malaysia. Yet the authorities never bothered to remove them.
We feel SORRY for them, as a human being, but if you PITY them, and you give them ONE Ringgit, you are not helping them but their syndicate bosses, whom are filthy rich.
So, if you PITY MCA and give them your votes, you are giving UMNO your votes.
MCA cannot help you, because they themselves have to beg.
If UMNO still cannot understand why the Chinese community rejects MCA, then we will pray for them come next Qing Ming.
Would you pity someone, anyone who collaborates with a robber who robs you for fifty-six years!!!!
Fifty-six years!!!!
Just imagine that!!
It really boggles the mind!
And undoubtedly shared the loot as well!
What the PR should do when it takes over Putrajaya would be to give them a chance to return ALL THE LOOT for which they will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Or otherwise, they can have a date with the hangman!!!
That’s what they truly deserve!!!!
We are more keen to trample them than pity them. We will leave all the pitying to MCA itself.
Vote the party and not the individual candidate – can this be still true and applicable today?
MCA candidates got voted in becoz of this concept. In the past, most rural Malays voted for BN regardless of race. Hence, MCA candidate secured the seat.
I hope in GE13, all should just ABU regardless of race and colour.
umno:hoi mca kau nak kerusi
mca:nakkk
umno:jilat buntut aku dulu
mca:ok boss
This article is so well written. Bravo Stanley!
Please don’t forget the other eunuch party (M.I.C.). I heard a certain rejected stone wants to be a cornerstone. Well, pack him, M.I.C. and MCA together and “Bungkus”!
MCA for multiracial party environment , respecting the realpolitik in Malaysia
BN/UMNO’s narrow, divisive and damaging politics of race and religion had destroyed all smaller component parties, MCA is not protected.
Extremist and racist Malays, relying on the majority support, can hide behind race and religion and get away with it……thus the bullying, threat and intimidation.
Upholding Constitution and rule of law and free press are the only protection ordinary people of all races had against gross injustice, discrimination, abuse of power and etc., in particular to minority races.
do they pity??? Lim Kit Siang who is pity then them.. they combined with BN built harmony Malaysian Malaysia not base od race.. if you really concern about Malaysian then stop your racism.. u r million times pity la..