It’s MCA’s common plea to the Chinese community that only if MCA is voted into the Parliament, there will be someone in the government who can represent and help the community. I believe that it is MCA’s strategy to forge demand for the party from the people by providing such narrative, and that MCA must have been believing that this could work well and work forever. Never did they foresee that this could backfire on them like it does now.
Recognition of UEC, funds allocation for Chinese vernacular schools, establishment of new Chinese vernacular schools are all issues which need no further elaboration in portraying how irrelevant MCA has been to the Chinese community as a component party in the longest and only ruling coalition of Malaysia.
As MCA continues to implore people for their votes not for something the party has done but by relying on tactics that harp on the need of representation, we can’t help but raise 3 questions:
1. Did MCA admit that BN is an oxymoron to Malaysian values because, in the absence of MCA in BN, no party could represent and work for the Chinese community?
2. How can MCA ensure that all unease and disappointment of Chinese community over MCA’s long overdue promises can be miraculously resolved and settled should Chinese community choose to trust them in the coming general election?
3. Will MCA prove its legitimacy as a race-based political party that claims to represent the Chinese by contesting in Chinese majority seats?
It is now MCA’s job to prove that they are indeed a relevant political party to the Chinese community, and particularly, a relevant governing party.
There are few Parliament constituencies that were allegedly the “safe seats” of MCA, including Alor Gajah (Melaka), Ayer Hitam (Johor), Bentong (Pahang) and Tanjung Malim (Perak). But even in these alleged “safe seats” of MCA, the chinese voters only made up 28%, 38%, 44% and 27% respectively as of 2013.
If MCA wishes to prove its legitimacy as a party that represents the chinese community, it only makes sense if its top leaders such as Dato Sri’ Liow Tiong Lai and Dato Sri Wee Ka Siong to contest in constituencies with more than 50% Chinese.