MCA will cooperate with any party from both sides of the political divide on issues of common interest, but will stop short of forming new formal alliances, said party president Wee Ka Siong.

Wee said in the country’s new political landscape, opposition parties like MCA can work with other parties, whether they are in the ruling Pakatan Harapan bloc, or in the Barisan Nasional pact in which it remains a member, on specific issues affecting the people.

But to become allies in a formal alliance is a different proposition altogether, said Wee who took over the stewardship of the Chinese-based party last November.

The Ayer Itam MP said such an alliance could only materialise when MCA and interested parties share a common stand.

“I was once asked if MCA and Gerakan could work together. My answer was: ‘Why not?’

“But the big question is on what and how. We can, but on the same shared ideas. That’s key to any cooperation,” he said.

Wee said differences and grudges do not last long in politics.

“We are all friends these days,” he said, pointing out that he and Gerakan president Dominic Lau often exchanged views at the functions they attended together.

When asked if MCA would support an Umno candidate in the coming Semenyih by-election, Wee said as long as they are not parties from the ruling Pakatan Harapan, they could all sit down and talk.

“That, I believe, is a more practical approach.”

On formal political alliances, Wee said the Pakatan Harapan parties are fragmented and divided by political differences but continued to work together.

He pointed to the situation in the previous Selangor government where DAP and PAS had to work together when they were in the state government.

“So having a cooperation for a common cause is definitely not something to be surprised about.

“Even after PAS announced they were leaving the Pakatan Harapan coalition, they remained in the (Selangor) government and worked together until the expiry of their mandate.” – February 9, 2019.