MCA was critical of the behaviour of Umno and its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the search for a new government after the 15th general election but denied claims the Chinese party had betrayed the Barisan Nasional (BN) ideals with its criticisms.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong, in a special interview recently, said the party’s actions were carried out according to the BN copy book and its resolutions on working with the opposition.

Wee said the same cannot be said of Umno, BN’s leading party.

He said Umno had actually abandoned two key principles of the coalition – consultation and consensus – on whether to support Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Perikatan Nasional (PN), when none of them held the simple majority needed to form the new government.

He said Umno was making all the decisions for the coalition without consulting its partners.

“They were busy making connections and forging new political alliances. We (MCA) saw the political developments but decided not to interfere and put a stop to it.

“Umno found a new partner (in long-time rival PH), and the loyalty of BN member parties is suddenly questioned.”

Wee said MCA is steadfast in its loyalty to BN and in any future elections, “we, as a BN party, will still be using the BN logo”.

“We have never betrayed this coalition,” Wee said when addressing questions on Zahid’s revelations at the recent Umno general assembly where he named 10 MPs – six from Umno – who had backed Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin to become prime minister without his consent.

MCA had also called on Zahid to resign as BN chairman following the coalition’s disastrous showing in the general election. 

The 10 BN lawmakers, on November 23 last year – five days after the general election – met Muhyiddin and key PN leaders at the St Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur over the formation of the next government.

Among the Umno leaders who were present at the meeting were its acting president Mohamad Hasan and a vice president Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Zahid was not.

Zahid had dubbed the meeting the “St Regis move” and said it was also an attempt to remove him as the BN chairman.

MCA’s presence at the meeting had tongues wagging, raising questions if the party leaders intended to betray the coalition.

Wee was vehement that in the political turmoil, MCA had never betrayed the coalition, nor has it been key to any political subterfuge.

He said “many people” had appealed to MCA to dissolve the coalition over Umno’s conduct.

“We too want Umno to stay true to the BN spirit of having consultation among component parties. That is the most original spirit of the BN.

“No one party has all the say just because it has more votes or more seats than other member parties. We (BN parties) are all equal.”

As no political coalition secured a simple majority in the November 19 polls to form the new government, it ended with a hung parliament.

PH got 82 seats, followed by PN with 74, BN (30), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (23), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (6) and Warisan (3).

While Borneo’s representative coalitions – GPS and GRS – won 29 seats, it was BN that played a pivotal role in the formation of Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government. – January 25, 2023.