COMPARED with the fanfare and extravagance of years past, MCA’s first Chinese New Year open house as an opposition party was a quieter affair this year, with markedly fewer people in attendance.

“I have come every year for the last two years with my family… it’s always been packed and there were always lines to get food and no place to sit,” said Wong Zhi Shu, 47, from Kuala Lumpur.

“But this year, it’s less crowded and we found a place to sit and got our food easily,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Lawyer Umesh Skanthan, 30, who attended the open house for the first time this year, said that his friends had warned him of a large crowd.

“I had anticipated more of a crowd. My friends had warned me that last year, the queue for the food was long.

“But to my surprise, the lines were short,” he said.

Some 1,500 people reportedly attended MCA’s open house last year.

This year, while a large number of people arrived soon after the event began at 9am, the crowd thinned out just after noon.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong, however, was upbeat about the turnout, saying their presence showed “overwhelming support” despite the party’s losses in the last election.

He also chided government leaders for not turning up to show their support despite being invited.

“All the opposition parties came to support (us). We had members from Umno, MIC, Gerakan and MyPPP turn up to show their support. Despite our differences, we are still friends,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

BN acting chairman Mohamad Hasan also turned up for the open house earlier in the day. – February 5, 2019.