MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek rallied party members to focus their efforts on discrediting archrival DAP in a highly charged speech geared towards the coming general elections.
He called on the party to adopt a similar strategy which the DAP has potently employed against the MCA, imploring the electorate to punish DAP for its involvement with PAS which is adamant on maintaining its hudud law agenda.
"It is time to punish PAS by not voting for DAP," Chua (left, with PM Najib Abdul Razak) said in his opening address to party delegates at the party's 58th Annual General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur today.
The move could well affect the DAP as it did in the 1999 general election where similar fears were played up, resulting in an electoral debacle for the DAP after in entered into an alliance with PAS under the auspices of Barisan Alternatif.
The DAP had in the past painted MCA as a stooge of of a corrupt and racist Umno and urged voters to punish the dominant BN partner Umno by voting against the MCA.
In contrast to past general assemblies where MCA had blamed Umno for its electoral defeats in 2008, Chua called on his party men to aim their cannons at the right direction, singling out Pakatan Rakyat and in particular, DAP.
"Our political enemies are not the comrades within our fold, it is Pakatan. We must be focussed on our objectives."
'Being a political superman'
Chua added that DAP has projected itself as a 'political superman' that could solve all the woes of the Chinese community by constantly discrediting the MCA.
"However, its performance in Pakatan states proves that it is no superman."
He went on to accuse DAP of racial polarisation, pointing out that DAP's practice of filing Chinese candidates against other Chinese candidates in MCA and Gerakan, ran contrary to its multiracial credentials.
"By pitting Chinese against Chinese, the DAP has merely created a political system where non-Chinese form the government and the Chinese end up as the opposition."
He cited an example from the recent Sarawak state elections where that DAP succeeded in increasing the Chinese representation in the opposition but reduced their representation in the state government.
"This will ultimately lead to a two-race system, not a two-party system."
'No back door ministers'
He added that DAP should prove its multiracial credentials by putting up Chinese candidates in Malay areas to prove that they were accepted by all.
Chua's speech was an apparent attempt to drum up support among the party members and stressed that this assembly was likely the last before the 13th general election.
The party president reiterated his stance that MCA will not accept any government positions should it fail to reverse its electoral fortunes from 2008, stressing that it wasnt a "threat" but "respect for the people's wishes".
"In the past, the opposition has argued for voters to vote against the MCA because we can still be represented by the government through the back door, this we have to admit. But I want to say the MCA this time is different, we have principles."
In an unusual move, Chua even led the hall to spirited chants of "Undilah Barisan Nasional" several times after his addresses, believed to be a first in a MCA annual general assembly.
Today's rhetoric appears to be geared towards revitalising party delegates in presenting a united front against Pakatan which has been dogged by the hudud law controversy.
He called on the party to adopt a similar strategy which the DAP has potently employed against the MCA, imploring the electorate to punish DAP for its involvement with PAS which is adamant on maintaining its hudud law agenda.
"It is time to punish PAS by not voting for DAP," Chua (left, with PM Najib Abdul Razak) said in his opening address to party delegates at the party's 58th Annual General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur today.The move could well affect the DAP as it did in the 1999 general election where similar fears were played up, resulting in an electoral debacle for the DAP after in entered into an alliance with PAS under the auspices of Barisan Alternatif.
The DAP had in the past painted MCA as a stooge of of a corrupt and racist Umno and urged voters to punish the dominant BN partner Umno by voting against the MCA.
In contrast to past general assemblies where MCA had blamed Umno for its electoral defeats in 2008, Chua called on his party men to aim their cannons at the right direction, singling out Pakatan Rakyat and in particular, DAP.
"Our political enemies are not the comrades within our fold, it is Pakatan. We must be focussed on our objectives."
'Being a political superman'
Chua added that DAP has projected itself as a 'political superman' that could solve all the woes of the Chinese community by constantly discrediting the MCA.
"However, its performance in Pakatan states proves that it is no superman."
He went on to accuse DAP of racial polarisation, pointing out that DAP's practice of filing Chinese candidates against other Chinese candidates in MCA and Gerakan, ran contrary to its multiracial credentials.
"By pitting Chinese against Chinese, the DAP has merely created a political system where non-Chinese form the government and the Chinese end up as the opposition."
He cited an example from the recent Sarawak state elections where that DAP succeeded in increasing the Chinese representation in the opposition but reduced their representation in the state government.
"This will ultimately lead to a two-race system, not a two-party system."
'No back door ministers'
He added that DAP should prove its multiracial credentials by putting up Chinese candidates in Malay areas to prove that they were accepted by all.
Chua's speech was an apparent attempt to drum up support among the party members and stressed that this assembly was likely the last before the 13th general election.
The party president reiterated his stance that MCA will not accept any government positions should it fail to reverse its electoral fortunes from 2008, stressing that it wasnt a "threat" but "respect for the people's wishes".
"In the past, the opposition has argued for voters to vote against the MCA because we can still be represented by the government through the back door, this we have to admit. But I want to say the MCA this time is different, we have principles."
In an unusual move, Chua even led the hall to spirited chants of "Undilah Barisan Nasional" several times after his addresses, believed to be a first in a MCA annual general assembly.
Today's rhetoric appears to be geared towards revitalising party delegates in presenting a united front against Pakatan which has been dogged by the hudud law controversy.
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