Umno now openly courts DAP, jilts MCA and Gerakan

Paranoia has hit the roof at the MCA, with president Chua Soi Lek rushing to assure all and sundry that an invitation from Nazri Aziz, the minister in the PM's Department, to the DAP to replace MCA in the BN was his personal opinion.

But whatever bravado that Soi Lek may try to muster, there s no way he can hide the humiliation to himself and his party. The news rang out loud and clear throughout the nation - even UMNO, the BN boss, no longer wants the MCA. It has become a burden, a liability that Chua and team have failed to turn around.

It was the same story for Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon, who thought his protection was adequate because he was cocooned within Prime Minister Najib Razak's department. But that has not stopped the UMNO-owned Utusan newspaper and a group of BN-aligned Independent lawmakers from taunting him as a 'useless' leader and telling him point-blank that it was time to go.

In a move akin to mercy-killing, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has issued a statement, declaring that the question of the DAP joining BN "did not arise at all".

"DAP is fully committed together with PAS and PKR to ensuring Pakatan Rakyat success in 13th general elections to restore the constitutional rights assured to all Malaysians regardless race and religion and bring about fundamental changes so that a new start could be made to fully develop Malaysia’s potentials particularly our human resources and talents to be an united, successful and great Malaysian nation," Kit Siang said in a statement out on Friday.

Soi Lek and Tsu Koon have to bear full responsibility

Nazri had made the comments in an interview with Sin Chew Daily on Sunday, saying that DAP should be invited to join the coalition. Nazri said this was not anything new as Gerakan too joined the BN, then known as the Alliance, after winning Penang in 1969.

Sad to say, Nazri did not mention that it has been downhill all the way since for Gerakan.

But essentially, both the MCA and Gerakan have themselves to blame for the current sorry state that they are in. To be precise, the grassroots have Soi Lek and Tsu Koon to blame. Experts had warned both leaders in the wake of the 2008 general election that it was crucial to quickly regain the confidence of the Chinese community. Yet both men insisted they knew better. For the sake of cushy jobs and high positions, they continued to close an eye to UMNO's abusive behaviour.

Yet, neither MCA nor Gerakan were without bargaining chips then. MCA has 15 parliamentary seats and DAP 2. But due to the short-sightedness of Chua and Koh, neither dared to use this leverage. In the end, it was UMNO who has turned the tables on them. These 17 seats are no longer worth a sen.

Should MCA and Gerakan pull out now, it will not change the power equation in Parliament. The 3-year period for by-elections is already over and in the coming General Election, the Gerakan and MCA brand names are seen to be so worthless that the candidates they field will surely lose their seats.

"They have painted themselves into their own corners and it serves them right. I am not talking about the ordinary members but the top pleaders at MCA and Gerakan, who must now take responsibility. Don't blame anyone except their own avarice and lust for powerful jobs. Even now, if Nazri were to thaw just half a degree, both Koh and Chua would rush over to shake hands and curry favour as they have been doing all these years," PKR vice president Tian Chua.

End of the road for UMNO too

However, despite Nazri's tough talk, it the writing is also on the wall for UMNO. The difference is that it holds many more seats than Gerakan and MCA combined and the party has played its cards better than Soi Lek and Tsu Koon.

UMNO's red-hot aggression is seen by pundits as final evidence that the party has reached the end of its tether. Only emergency rule or a police state remain as viable options for UMNO to stay in political power if the DAP or PAS refuses to join the BN.

"UMNO should also beware. The way it is behaving is quite shameful. Honourable people do not behave like this. Honourable men do not kick others when they are down even if they deserve it. If Kit Siang were to say, DAP will consider, I am sure all their grassroots will ask him to think twice. The most poisonous animal in Malaysia, the one with most deadly disease, is now the UMNO elite. Who would dare mix with it? It is because the UMNO elite is really desperate that they are acting like this. But it is a shame and such a bad example to our youth. The Malay community cannot be feeling proud at this display of churlishness," said Tian.

PAS: Welcome to the club

PAS leaders too laughed at the latest turn of events especially at Soi Lek, who has actively painted the Islamist party as extremist group that all Chinese should avoid. Soi Lek's implicit message to the Chinese community was that they should vote for the MCA so that the BN could protect them from zealots such as PAS.

Najib has also tried hard to get PAS to merge with UMNO or to join the BN, but he has been rebuffed in no uncertain terms by the Islamist party, which has been disgusted at the way that he has ruled the country, bringing disgrace, scandal, and increasing Malaysia's profile in the corruption indices.

"As they say, he who eats chilli feels the heat. Chua and Koh must think very carefully because they may be the last presidents of their parties. When UMNO started to use Perkasa to stir up racial feelings, that was the signal for the MCA and Gerakan to leave BN. But for reasons only they know, they didn't. As for DAP, it faces the same pressure as PAS. UMNO will chase and hound them. But anytime it is better than being chased out like MCA and Gerakan," PAS MP for Kuala Krai Hatta Ramli told Malaysia Chronicle. - Malaysia Chronicle