BARISAN Nasional secretary-general Nazri Abdul Aziz’s comments about the coalition being dead have no consequence as Nazri has no “locus standi” to make comments on behalf of the party, said MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker.

Ti said that Nazri is not the party and does not speak for everyone in the party.

“The party is not about Nazri. He has no locus standi to say things. He is not the party, some people in the party also don’t like him,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

He said Nazri is still living in the 70s and 80s, back when he was a minister, and that it was now not the time for “warlords” in the party, but for “builders”.

“He still thinks this is the 70s and 80s when he was a minister. BN doesn’t need his warlord mentality. The time for warlords is over. It is time for builders of the party,” he said.

Ti was referring to comments by Nazri today that the spirit of BN forged after the race riots of 1969 has ended now that the union between Umno and PAS has been formalised.

Nazri, who is also Padang Rengas MP, said the union of BN’s lynchpin party and the Islamist party had ended the spirit of multiculturalism, which was the basis of the coalition’s founding principles.

Nazri also said he will not attend the coalition’s meeting scheduled for this Friday.

He said he did not want to “interrupt” the meeting because MCA and MIC had earlier indicated they might not attend the meeting if Nazri turned up.

Ti said sarcastically that he applauded Nazri for stepping aside to make way for them.

“It’s unlike him to do so,” he said.

Ti said Nazri should humble himself and stop “muddying the water” with his comments.

“He has already muddied the water enough. He should humble himself and stop commenting on this as even his position in the party is in question,” said Ti.

Ti was referring to MCA and MIC’s statement that Nazri’s appointment as secretary-general last September was not in accordance with BN’s constitution.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong and his MIC counterpart S.A. Vigneswaran had said Nazri’s appointment was never discussed or officially approved in the BN supreme council even though it was announced by BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during the opening of the MIC general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre on October 27.

Ti said that the multicultural spirit of BN has lasted and will not be destroyed because of his words.

“The cohesion and political goodwill goes back many years. It won’t be destroyed because of his words,” he said.

When asked what is next for MCA and MIC, Ti said he would leave it to the conventional wisdom of the coalition to decide when they meet on Friday. – March 6, 2019.

“We will leave it to the party presidents to come up with an amicable solution,” he said. – March 6, 2019.