ARE MCA’s days numbered after wining only one federal seat and two state seats in GE14?

Political analysts say the communal party must re-evaluate its relevance in Malaysian politics after being abandoned by Chinese voters in the elections.

“MCA wants to represent the Chinese but the Chinese do not want MCA to represent them anymore. They have to reinvent themselves.

“They could consider DAP’s issue-based approach to politics,” said political analyst Tang Ah Chai.

As part of the opposition, Tang said MCA could still play a constructive role by monitoring the executive.

Another observer of Chinese Malaysian politics, Koh Kok Wee, said MCA can redeem itself if it excels as an opposition party.

The party should also replace its top leaders in its upcoming party polls with youth leaders.

“Rather than pointing fingers at Umno, MCA also needs to reflect on itself, including infighting, its patronage politics and practice of colluding political and business interests,” he said.

Dr Phoon Wing Keong, Southern University College’s General Studies Centre director, said it did not matter whether MCA withdrew from Barisan Nasional amid talk that this was one of the ways it could regain public confidence.

“We don’t remember most of their candidates’ names after elections,” said Phoon.

He estimated that MCA will lose between 1,000 and 2,000 local council and village chief posts after BN lost Malacca, Kedah and Negri Sembilan. Other states under Pakatan Harapan now are Perak and Johor, in addition to Penang and Selangor that it took over since 2008.

However, MCA is still a wealthy party as it has 500,000 members and a strong grassroots network.

Despite losing power, the party will be able to survive because of this wealth built over decades, analysts said. But its political relevance will be in question unless it learns the ropes of being a good opposition. – May 13, 2018.