‘BN should become a multiracial party’

Barisan Nasional becoming a multiracial party is the way forward, says MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai.

PETALING JAYA: MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai is in support of Barisan Nasional (BN) to become a single multiracial party.

He said this when asked if MCA will consider becoming a multiracial party.

“MCA’s approach towards becoming a multiracial party is always in our minds. Although we are a communal party, our approach in solving problems is always the multiracial approach.

“I support BN to become a multiracial party because that is the way forward,” he said in an interview with FMT.

When asked to comment on the merger talks with Gerakan and the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Liow said that MCA must first strengthen itself.

“We (MCA) need to transform, first. Then we’ll definitely talk with Gerakan and SUPP.

“It’s important for us to discuss how we can work together, probably even to form a special conciliation body that can strengthen all parties within BN,” he said.

Last week, MCA vice-president Donald Lim told FMT that chances are good for the Chinese-based parties in BN to merge into one before the 14th general election.

Lim said that MCA was already engaged in informal talks with SUPP and Gerakan.

However, Gerakan acting president Chang Ko Youn told FMT that MCA must first become a multiracial party for any merger talks to materialise.

‘MCA not a racist party’

“Regarding the call for MCA to become a multiracial party, I would like to emphasise that although MCA is a communal party, it is not a racist party.

“Under the BN structure, we are performing as a multiracial party and because we are a multiracial society, we need a political communal structure,” he said.

He stressed that MCA has been representing the Chinese community since independence and the party has worked well with the Malay and Indian community, as well as the other races in Sabah and Sarawak.

“You can see that all of us are working together as a team and that we still put emphasis on multiracial struggles,” he said.

Liow added that a strong MCA will not harm racial relations but instead it will definitely help to unite the multiracial society.

“Whether we should turn into a multiracial party or stay as a communal party is not the issue. What’s more important is our effective role in the country’s multiracial context,” said Liow.