‘Grassroots deserted MCA’

The party's own members, says Wee Jeck Seng, did not vote for MCA in the 13th GE.

PETALING JAYA: As MCA embarks on its post-election mission to win over the heart and mind of the Chinese community, one of the party’s elected reps revealed that even the MCA grassroots had turned their backs on the party.

“The members didn’t vote for us,” Wee Jeck Seng told FMT.

“If they had voted for us, we would have achieved a very good results, we would not have been left with 7-11 (7 MPs and 11 state reps),” he said, in reference to the claim that MCA has some 900,000 members.

It is believed that MCA only gained 5%-10% of Chinese support in its recent GE outing.

Wee, the Tanjung Piai MP, said the party is in the midst of studying the reasons behind this and would disclose their findings to the central leadership later.

“It is now very important to regain the grassroots members’ trusts,” he said.

Tee Keat on disillusioned grassroots

Former MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik yesterday told reporters that it is the grassroots members, and not the elected reps who would help keep the party relevant.

Responding to this today, another former MCA president Ong Tee Keat said Ling’s statement is only true provided if the grassroots members are not disillusioned with the party.

“(Some of them) are disillusioned to the extent of switching their allegiance to the opposition,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wee said both elected reps and grassroots members are equally important because they work hand in hand in serving the public.

“Grassroots members listen to the ground demands while we pick up the issues from there and bring it to Parliament,” he said.