There is another issue hotly debated by the political community lately. It’s the issue of DAP and MCA, both are Chinese dominated party even though DAP is actually meant for multiracial members and participation.
Both are legally registered political parties under the Act of Law and there is nothing illegal or immoral to be a member and supporter of any of those parties.
Historically the only Chinese dominated party which could work with the Malays (though UMNO)has been MCA the party which has been the strongest partner in the BN coalition. DAP is the party formed in late sixties and its multiracial party which is dominated by Chinese.
It’s only the politicking part of the politics that suggest each other as bad party and leaders. Historically MCA was made to contest in Chinese dominated constituencies during the PERIKATAN rule, but when the Chinese withdrew support from PERIKATAN in the 1969 GE, MCA was thought to be a defunct.
The Chinese went in the open in support of DAP and a newly registered Gerakkan formed by Syed Hussein Al-Atas.The Malays in the hinterland supported PAS and many UMNO stalwarts were defeated including Dr Mahathir Mohammad who lost in Kota Setar to the PAS spiritual leader Yusuf Rawa by around 1000 votes.
But after the MAGERAN administration in 1974, the birth of BN gave MCA another lease of strength. From then on MCA top leaders were sent out to be candidates since 1974 GE in Malay dominated constituencies as they were not confident of regaining the Chinese support.
From then on we saw MCA leaders contesting in Labis, Segamat, Bakri, Hulu Selangor,Alor Setar and many other constituencies. The idea of sending senior MCA leaders to contest in the Malay dominated areas was to ensure that there would be Chinese participation in the government. All the solid Chinese dominated constituencies were subjugated over by DAP.
In essence MCA was and is still depending on the Malay votes in order to keep the party to be seen as of consequence within the BN coalition.
Now let us see which party; MCA or DAP that is going to secure the support of the voters. MCA lost many seats in the last GE and was left with only 15 in Parliament. It is too telling that MCA is suffering the same fate with its senior brother UMNO.
The idea of MCA of pulling the support of the Malays goes flat as the Malays who massively voted against UMNO are also turning their back from MCA. The issue of moral and corruption against MCA is as serious as UMNO is facing. The PKFZ issue was the main issue that got MCA into trouble, and that is the issue which surrounds MCA of late.
The massiveness of corruption committed by MCA leaders in just one project is calculated as 12 billion ringgit and to complete the project would easily top up the cost to 16 billion ringgit.
MCA is now not supported by the Chinese any longer and it has ceased to be the party representing their struggles. DAP appeals the Chinese and with the stronger support of the Malays to PAS and a bit for PKR, DAP also appeals the Malays to some extend.
UMNO and BN will not be able to caste hatred feelings towards the party anymore since the pattern of political thinking of the Malays is changing swiftly. DAP is a better party than MCA to the complaining Malays in any GE as from now on.
To the Malays DAP is more suitable for them to support as the party is multi-racial and the idea of DAP fielding some Malay candidates will attract more Malays to believe in DAP more than MCA.
MCA is now playing racist issue in order to rally the Chinese support and openly showing the Chinese that the party is giving strong pressure all for the benefit of the Chinese.
MCA says, “Give me certain billion and MCA will bring back the Chinese support”. This is the melody that Soi Lek and his team sing day in and night out.
Just weeks ago MCA hit Perkasa, PERKASA chauvinistic, racist, credulous and many other superlatives labeled on Ibrahim Ali and PERKASA. MCA is now burning feeling of hatred towards it own UMNO big brothers.
MCA is blaming UMNO for the dismal performance of BN in the last GE and many quarters in MCA are thinking to detach the party from BN is order to retake the support of the Chinese from DAP.
I personally foresee that there will be some kind of shift of political equation with the current political ambiance. The ‘hijrah’ or change is seemingly eminent and that is natural phenomenon in any nation that desires a change in its political outlook.
Politics is management of human psychology and building of acceptable perception of the public is of prime significance. Nobody can tell how UMNO and BN is going to take position.
When UMNO was facing the same experience just after 1969, the party was still impregnated with dignified leaders who could call any leader, both from the opposition and the government bench to sit on negotiating tables and subsequently gave birth to BN. Two main opposition parties, PAS and Gerakkan were brought in the coalition and went through the 1974 GE with one symbol.
The strength of BN was untouchable and the strength was evidently captivated around the dignity and stateliness of leaders of all races in the coalition.
But all those glories are already oblivious as the succeeding leaders of BN especially MCA and UMNO did not handle and keep the mantle well. Some top leaders were starting to build up wealth for themselves and that culture slowly but surely became cancerous and the aches are now felt by concerned citizen.
UMNO was set up with nationalistic flavor but leaders of those periods until today have change the party to ‘taukeh’ flavor like MCA and the Chinese. There is no more nationalistic element in UMNO and the party slowly became exclusive club of the rich and the famous.
UMNO and MCA are rapidly deteriorating in support. Malays are looking at PAS as the main alternative party to support. Many professionals are joining or at least support the party purely for the survival of their generation.
The Chinese are looking at DAP as their political survival and they have no qualms of dumping MCA for their good own sake. Realizing the situation they (MCA) are very jittery and in their effort to gain the Chinese support MCA came out with statements and calls that irritate the Malays and UMNO. Some sounded chauvinistic and that is the actual attribute of MCA and this was only known by insiders among leaders of the components.
DAP is in convenient position as the Chinese are with them. The party is slowly gaining the Malay support as the tolerance of the Malays on the have evaporated.
DAP is also gaining the Malays to support as they intend to field in quite a number of Malay candidate in the coming GE. Fielding Malay candidates is not new. Fadzlan Yahya won the Pasir Badamar state constituency in Perak for 3 terms. Haji Asri is a pensioner with the Perak State Assembly when he was a 2-term State Assemblyman in Perak too.
The late Ahmad Nor won a parliamentary seat from Penang with DAP ticket. Hence putting up Malay candidates in the coming GE can actualize the party’s struggle for multi-racial participation of DAP. This move would certainly add up a reasonable percentage of support from the Malays for the party. AND it is not politically immoral for the Malays to support DAP with the latest intended arrangement. AND that is more 1Malaysia in actuality.
Apart from direct Malay support for DAP the party will also gain the support from the Malays via PAS and PKR, the other party members of PR. AND there will be a huge numbers of votes which will come from the disgruntled UMNO Malays in the ballot boxes.
Look at what has MCA decided in its just concluded Economic Congress. Just read the report on it which is widely debated and reported. It is nauseating.
Aspen Alias