KUALA LUMPUR – MCA remains firm that it will not campaign for the unity government’s candidate from DAP in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.
Its Wanita head, Wong You Fong, said the boycott decision had the consensus of party leaders and was made on grounds of “party principles and dignity”.
“MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has issued a clear statement, the decision was made by consensus and there will be no changes, all (in the party) including Wanita will abide by it.
“The leadership has decided that we will not help in campaigning for the by-election so we will obey,” she told Scoop.
Wong was reacting to Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) announcement last night of its candidate, Pang Sock Tao, for the Kuala Kubu Baharu poll, to be held on May 11. Nomination day is this Saturday.
Wee in a video recording had instructed MCA members not to help DAP-PH’s campaign in the by-election, taking offence in particular with remarks by DAP chief Anthony Loke, who described the Barisan Nasional (BN) Chinese component as a party of “towkays”.
Loke, who made these remarks in a recent podcast interview, also said MCA only cared for the interest of the Chinese, whereas DAP cared for all in society.
Wee, in his video message, said MCA had been maligned by DAP and a boycott of the campaign was necessary to preserve his party’s honour.
The party president also referred to previous remarks made by DAP leaders against MCA, such as claims that it betrayed the Chinese community by not getting Bumiputera quotas abolished and failing to secure government recognition for the Unified Examination Certificate.
At the announcement of Pang’s candidacy last night, leaders from other parties in BN had been present at the event held at DAP’s service centre in Kuala Kubu Baharu, but there was no visible sign of any MCA representative sitting in the front alongside those from Umno and MIC.
Formerly foes, BN and PH parties are now allies in the unity government formed after the 2022 general election when no party won a clear majority to form a government. However, MCA does not hold any posts in the federal cabinet.
Wee, in his video, had also reminded DAP that it had been successful in recent elections in seats previously held by MCA.
Kuala Kubu Baharu, for one, was an MCA stronghold until 2013 when DAP’s Lee Kee Hiong won it with a majority of over 1,700 votes. She defeated the MCA candidate again in the 2018 general election by 7,134 votes, and went on to win the seat a third time in state elections last August.
Her death on March 21 necessitates the coming by-election.
Meanwhile, MCA Senator Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker also slammed DAP, saying it was better for MCA to “die standing” than to “bend the knee” to the PH party.
“It would be a shame and loss of dignity if MCA leaders were to agree to help DAP campaign. Loke was extremely out of line when he said (in the podcast) that he ‘did not hate BN but he didn’t like MCA’,” Ti told Scoop.
“This is really hypocritical of him as DAP was the one who instigated their supporters to hate MCA by accusing us of selling the Chinese out to Umno and the Malays,” he added. – April 25, 2024