Can MCA survive its hazy future?

It's rank and file are crying out for a new leadership and it’ll wise for Chua to pay heed and quit in order to save the party from ultimate political demise

COMMENT

The unpredictability of Dr Chua Soi Lek and the uncertainty over when he will vacate the top post of the MCA have cast a long dark shadow on the future of the 64-year old party.

Almost on the brink of political demise following its abysmal performance in the recently concluded 13th GE, the MCA is suffering from a hangover of its own leadership’s follies.

Chua is suffering from a surfeit of arrogance and has failed to provide a check and balance to Umno’s policies of dominance and supremacy detrimental to non-bumiputras.

The blame game for MCA’s failures and follies continue, and the rank and file are crying for a new leadership capable of reconstructing a new consensus.

Chua should pay heed and resign in order to save the party from ultimate political demise just as his predecessor, Ong Ka Ting, who quit honourably following the 2008 general election.

Five MCA divisional leaders, calling themselves the ‘Save Party Committee 3.0′, have piled on the pressure and want Chua to step down immediately.

They five from Tititwangsa (Alex Chuah Poh Kiang), Teluk Intan (Kuan Peng Soon), Kuala Krau (Yap Ke Huat), Paya Besar (Eng Fook Heng) and from Selangor Tan Chong Seng.

Many others are discomfortingly quiet on the side. One of them is Phillip Soo, a veteran leader from Selangor who said the the 64-year-old party must undergo a complete leadership change.

“Changing a soup but using the same ingredients is meaningless. Or changing the pot but putting in the same ingredients makes no difference,” said Soo

According to Soo, it simply meant the party must be led by a new team of leaders with no tainted links to the current incumbents.

He added a failed leadership will seriously erode loyalty to the party when a leader loses the plot and pulse of party members and the community it claims to represent.

“It’s like in the Legend of the Three Kingdoms, the first line of army generals were superior in combat skills but the second echelon failed miserably.

“It’s the same in MCA, the founding fathers were dynamic and honest leaders but the current batch are floundering on many issues,” said Soo.

Chua has failed miserably

A party veteran from Perak, said that MCA is beset with too many problems, including the inability to transform. A bad political culture will continue to be perpetuated if a top leader himself sets a bad example.

Top on the list of bad political culture is money politics, when voter support can be bought over or bribed for appointed posts either within the party or in government.

“It sets a bad precedent when good, hardworking leaders can be voted out or ousted in an election and instead leaders with vested agendas take their places,” said the veteran, adding that the horse trading, wheeling and dealing practices must be stopped political culture.

Wong Sai Hou, a party veteran in MCA Selangor who continues to serve in the Petaling Utara division shared his thoughts on key changes needed for the party he had joined in the late 70s.

“Re-building the MCA is a must for its survival. Infusing values, commitment and dedication to the community and nation is vital just as the founding fathers had accomplished,” he said.

Phillip Soo was more forthright, saying that some incumbent party leaders (unlike the founding fathers) are too self-centred, arrogant, cocky, unprincipled and bankrupt of logical thinking.

Wong lamented the lack of spirit of the MCA of the 1940s which no longer prevailed in the current rank and said volunteerism needs to be encouraged to revive confidence from the public.

“Party veterans also should be given a role to play at the same time, a more vibrant cadre-training programme should be introduced,” said Wong.

“Hence, this can be a process of healing for the party by restoring public confidence and support,” he said, adding that he’s keen to build his PJ Utara division as a role model based on his proposals.

Others are not so optimistic of a real transformation taking place in MCA if Chua continues to helm the party.

Many say Chua had made a mockery of the party’s pledge in promising not to accept any government posts following its devastating performance at the recent polls.

Worse, he is still holding on to the Penang Port Commission chairmanship and has not even set a deadline to relinquish the post.

Critics say Chua is practicing double standard by not matching his words with deed.

“How can a party criticises the Opposition credibly when the leader himself lacks principles?” asked Lee Siew Meng, a former MCA supporter.

“Chua had his chance and failed miserably. Politically and morally he should step down. Otherwise, the party will be decimated in the next GE,” said the former treasurer general.

Stanley Koh is a former head of MCA’s research unit. He is a FMT columnist.