MCA is ready to go it alone should Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties form new partnerships and abandon its current coalition members, its president Wee Ka Siong said.

“Most importantly, MCA must insist on being a political party and not a welfare organisation,” he said in his speech at the party’s 70th annual general meeting at Wisma MCA today.

Wee said party’s principles, as outlined by founder Tan Cheng Lock, remains a guiding force.

“In 1951, when Tun Tan Cheng Lock converted MCA from a welfare organisation to a political party, he faced tremendous pushback internally.

“At that time, he said: ‘If MCA remains a welfare organisation, I will not stay in MCA. My view is that MCA is a political party.’

“That is the conviction of our predecessor that we will not let go of,” he said.

The former transport minister added that the shifting political landscape following the 2022 general election had altered the dynamics among BN component parties.

“There has been a clear challenge to the previously held spirit of consensus,” he said.

Wee said MCA collaborated with other like-minded individuals across BN to enact reform and re-establish the coalition’s core values.

He said that BN’s interests must be prioritised and a spirit of perseverance is needed to achieve success.

The Ayer Hitam MP called for a collaborative effort among all component parties in preparation for GE16.

“As the parties that were actively involved in the establishment of our country, we cannot forever be an affiliated member that is subject to others’ discretionary power,” he added.

“In the current political development, a one-party-rules-all scenario will no longer exist.

“Political parties are often intertwined and constantly seeking new coalition partners, which has now become a new norm in politics,” he said. – October 22, 2023.