IT wasn’t just the Chinese who rejected MCA, it was a wholesale revolt by voters against Barisan Nasional across communities nationwide, said party deputy president Wee Ka Siong.  

Commenting on the party’s future following its trouncing at the May 9 general election, Wee spoke of the grim future confronting the Chinese BN component party.

“In a way, not only the Chinese community. All communities. If not, we wouldn’t have won only one seat,” Wee told The Malaysian Insight when asked if the election results meant that the Chinese have rejected the party.  

Of the 90 state seats the ethnic Chinese BN component party contested, it secured only two. And it did not fare better at the parliamentary level, securing only one seat out of the 40 it contested.

That one seat, Ayer Hitam, was won with a razor-thin majority of 303 votes by Wee.

He said MCA is now in “soul-searching” mode and would need to transform itself in order to rise from the ashes.

“My immediate task is to transform the party, to reform this party as an effective opposition party. (It’s not) business as usual,” he said in an interview at the MCA headquarters.

While Wee acknowledged it was too soon to discuss the party’s future in BN, his curt reply when asked if he has met or spoken with former prime minister Najib Razak since polling day could possibly signal a major disruption among the new opposition.

“No” said Wee.

“I’m busy with my party work.”

Below are excerpts from the interview.

Q: Will you be party president?

A: After the recent general election and as I was the sole survivor on May 9 in terms of parliamentary seats, I was encouraged by members to take up the responsibility as president.

So, I will seriously consider that (call). Because I view this as a heavy responsibility. When reporters told me certain people were eyeing this post, I said why not? If it can help to rebuild my party, there’s room for anybody who wish to help strengthen this party.

Q: What direction would you take this party?

A: I have not formally formed up my manifesto for the presidency. To be honest, my immediate task is to rebuild this party to be an effective opposition first. So June and July, my immediate task is to transform the party, to reform this party as an effective opposition party.

And we cannot just treat the party like business as usual. We are no longer in the government. We have to perform the role of an effective opposition. We have recruit professionals and younger members to form the ombudsman unit in our party.

Because we need to oversee, monitor and to scrutinise the new government with regard (to) public policy that they introduce or any promise that (were) made before.

Q: Are there any mistake by this new government that you think should be addressed?

A: I cannot use the word “mistake” otherwise I will be bombarded by their so-called supporters. I can only say that this is the honeymoon period for the new government.

Whatever they do, the level of tolerance is very high. I still remember some orator from their side was saying that if they become the government, the fuel price will drop immediately the next day. After 22 days in power, what has happened? You have the answer.

People say, “Okay, don’t worry, give them some time. After all, this is a honeymoon period, we have to give some leeway to them”.

But their decisions would have been regarded as the wrong decision when we were the government.

Q: Were there any difficult decision after the election?

A: In the 24 hours after the result was announced, I was waiting for the new PM to be sworn in. I prayed for a smooth transition. We have to respect the verdict of the people.

Then came the second day, I was more or less doing soul-searching. We had a post-mortem on why we lost badly.

And for the past 20 days, we listened to the constituents, and there are many, many stories why they were so angry with the government without actually expressing them to the government.

Some of them just showed me this (a smartphone). You don’t have to say anything. You only need to show this to translate what you are feeling into votes. Now it’s no longer whether you read newspapers. As long as you carry a smartphone, you get everything.

Q: Were there rumblings among MCA members regarding the party’s direction?

A: Soul searching. Some say we have to stick to being a Chinese party. Some say otherwise. Some say no, you must still stress on the Chinese-ness.

Some say you have to take priority of all Malaysians and that people no longer regard themselves as Chinese and whatnot. These kinds of things.

Q: Did members ask MCA to pull out of BN?

A: As I said, if you want to pull out, you do it before the elections. After the elections, there’s no need for any coalition to be seen (by the people), unless you are preparing for the next general election. It’s too early.

For us, we work independently. We revamp our own party first. Only then you talk about other possibilities, working with other parties based on core values. That can be worked out later. You should not look at other component parties, whether they transform only then I decide transform or otherwise. No way.

You as a party, you must reform your party first. We cannot sub-contract the support of the non-Chinese to any component party. No more. Likewise, when they (BN) got MCA to get the Chinese support. No.

It is not business as usual… So the political scenario has changed. – June 2, 2018.