BN Leaders are living in their Own World

Monday, 16 August 2010 19:20

KUALA LUMPUR - Forget the cyber war that's brewing. A more profound war appears to be looming all of a sudden that involves allies in the ruling coalition - MCA and Umno.

In a hard-hitting press statement Monday, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek accused "some Barisan Nasional leaders" of continuing to "live in their own world" and if they continue to do so, they will certainly push MCA to its doom.

In a rebuttal to Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein's blunt reminder yesterday that MCA should not forget the BN struggle when fighting for Chinese demands, Chua said it only shows that some BN leaders have yet to learn from the 2008 general election.

"They do not understand the urge of the people to reform," he said.

He said the new MCA leaderhship understood that it must change to regain the people's support and trust.

Chua said while MCA respects Hishammuddin's view, he cannot blame MCA for deviating from the objectives and struggles of BN simply because the party has a different voice from him or other component party leaders.

"The new MCA leadership strongly believes that its political struggle is totally reasonable and legal," he said in his statement.

Chua added that MCA will not be afraid for sharing similar views with DAP in terms of the benefit of the community and it will not run away from making a stand.

"MCA will push hard for the implementation of the 13 resolutions passed during the Chinese Economic Congress held on Saturday because the resolutions are not only related to the Chinese community but also the future of the country's economic development."

"MCA reckons that it has the responsibility to reflect the wishes of the Chinese community due to globalisation. Otherwise, not only MCA will lose the community's support, it will not be able to also justify its political existence."

On Saturday, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had called on the Malaysian Chinese community to play a leading role in helping the country to become a high-income economy.

Opening the Chinese Economic Congress on "The Role of the Chinese Community in Achieving the New Economic Model (NEM) and the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) Targets" in Kuala Lumpur, Najib said they must play that role through economic innovation in genuine partnership with the other communities.

Meanwhile, MCA vice president Chor Chee Heung, in a press statement Monday, said MCA has never questioned the special position of the Malay as outlined in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

"MCA recognizes the noble objectives of the NEP which was to eradicate poverty regardless of ethnic background," he said.

Echoing the words of CIMB Group Ceo Nazir Abdul Razak where he said that the NEP’s “implementation has been hijacked by self-interest groups”, Chor said these weaknesses have to be rectified.

"Affirmative action policies should be based on needs and merit - colour blind to ethnicity," he said.

"MCA has consistently showed its loyalty to BN. In times when UMNO had encountered difficulties in the 1980s and 1990s, MCA never had abandoned UMNO.

"Nevertheless, we also have to take cognizance that such a statement from a coalition partner which hinges on political hegemony causes voters to turn away from BN," he said in his statement.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin reportedly defended his statement and said he had never intended to criticise MCA.

An online news portal quoted him as saying: “I did not make any statement against MCA but I told MCA that the landscape requires for us to look inside and look forward. Umno has done that in our reforms.

"I think it is time for the component parties and not just MCA to work together and move forward. I think the time is right and we have to do it now,” he said this after visiting Sin Chew Daily headquarters in Petaling Jaya on Monday.

Hishammuddin reportedly also claimed that his reminder was welcomed by MCA members. - MM