MCA’s separatist team is keen to leave Barisan Nasional to pave the way for the ethnic Chinese party to join the Pakatan Harapan ruling coalition, said deputy presidential hopeful Mah Hang Soon.

In the coming party elections, presidential hopeful Gan Ping Sieu and his running mate Tee Siew Keong are looking to pull the party out of BN, while the pairing of current deputy president Wee Ka Siong and Mah are proposing that the pre-independence party sticks to the former ruling coalition.

Mah told The Malaysian Insight that his rivals are pushing to exit BN as they have set their sights on cabinet posts once they join the PH government.

But Mah said the plan is ill-thought of, as Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is unlikely to take the MCA seriously.

“Why do you think Dr Mahathir will listen to you (Gan-Tee)? What leverage does MCA have? MCA at its height was looked down upon by the people, now it only has one member of parliament.

“What makes you think Dr Mahathir will entertain you? It’s obvious that they only want positions.”

Mah said with new leaders, and if Umno and BN were willing to change and revamp their image and direction, the coalition can win back the support of the people.

“If BN is not willing to stand on its own feet, then it will collapse, but is it necessary for MCA to disregard its long-time partners so frivolously?

“New leaders, such as Khairy Jamaluddin and Hishammuddin Hussein, are taking over Umno, and that is for the party’s survival,” he said.

Mah said it would be irresponsible for MCA to “abandon its allies now”.

“A mature and responsible party leadership will not only look at the short term due to party elections, it will look at the long term as well.”

If MCA does decide to leave BN, it will have to be done on the consensus of party members after its elections, and not merely on the whim of a few leaders, Mah said.

Tee told Sin Chew Daily recently that the Gan-Tee team will seek cooperation with Dr Mahathir if elected as leaders. When asked if they are looking to join PH, he did not give a straight answer, merely saying that all is possible in the realm of politics.

Winning back support

Despite the party’s almost-total decimation in the 14th general election, Mah believes that the Chinese will return to support MCA which is the only political party that represents the needs of the community.

“I believe the people will support MCA again. The Chinese community still has expectations for MCA. We are still the only Chinese party. DAP has to work with Bersatu, PKR and Amanah. So who is representing the Chinese?

“Don’t tell me the representation of 20% of the population is not important. MCA is a Chinese party, but there are also other parties representing other races, so MCA is still relevant.”

He blamed the party’s decline in support to many factors, including “demonization” by the then-opposition parties, as well as MCA’s silence on government scandals like 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

“As far as the 1MDB money is concerned, those who accepted the money should explain the issue,” he said.

According to Sarawak Report, BN component parties received 1MDB funds ahead of the 13th general election.

MCA Selangor on April 8, 2013 and April 24, 2013 received RM5 million and RM10 million from Najib Razak’s personal accounts, with the money being traced to then 1MDB subsidiary SRC International.

After PH came to power, it reopened investigations into 1MDB, revealing that former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek had accepted campaign funds given by former Umno president Najib in 2013.

Mah said the scandal happened during the previous leadership and should not be an indictment of acting-president Wee Ka Siong, who holds the party’s sole parliamentary seat.

“Dr Chua has admitted that he accepted funds from Umno when he was president. He should make it clear that the current leadership, from Selangor to central, did not accept the funds.

He said Wee should not be held responsible by the scandals of the previous leadership.

“It is just unfortunate for Wee and I sympathise. We cannot change the past, but we need to help him raise the people’s issues in Parliament and perform the role of an opposition well.” – October 31, 2018.