MPs of all races equal, MCA says after ‘penumpang’ remark

Elected lawmakers of all races should be regarded equally, MCA president Wee Ka Siong (centre in photo) said today.

This was in response to Umno acting president Mohamad Hasan’s recent “penumpang” (squatters) remark where he implied that there were too many non-Malay lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat.

To Wee, the race of lawmakers was not an issue, only that they were democratically elected. 

“I think as long as you are elected, regardless of your race and your educational background, as long as the people in that particular constituency voted for you and won the election, that’s it.

“No one should question why the people there elected this person and that person,” he said when asked during a press conference after MCA’s 70th- anniversary celebration at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

“If (they) are elected by the people, they are genuine parliamentarians in the house..

“We treat all Malaysians equal; it's in line with the core values and core struggle of MCA,” Wee added.

Pressed on whether he agreed with Mohamad’s statement, he said: “I have already said it so clearly, you know my answer."

While stumping for BN in Semenyih on Thursday night, Mohamad told a ceramah audience that the Malays were being sidelined under the Pakatan Harapan government.

"The people who should be landlords have become squatters in the small house in the backyard.

"Those who were previously 'penumpang' (squatters), clinging to the legs of our nation's fighters asking to live alongside us in our homeland, now live in the big house,” he had said.

MCA to meet MIC over BN’s future

Earlier during his speech, Wee said that he will soon be meeting with fellow BN component party MIC to discuss the future of their political partnership.

“The top leadership of MCA and MIC will discuss the future of their collaboration in the next three days while we wait for the BN supreme council to call for a meeting to make a final decision (about the coalition),” he said.

Wee also revealed that after its AGM last December, where it had passed a motion to push for the dissolution of BN and the formation of a new alliance, the party had sent a letter to the BN secretariat requesting that coalition partners meet to discuss their future.

Till today, no date for the meeting has been set.

“We hope the BN supreme council can call for a meeting soon.

“No matter what the outcome is, we believe that since the coalition was founded by the three component parties, it should also be decided by the three component parties. We are to seek a consensus agreed to by all three component parties and work together in deciding the way forward for all of us,” he said.

He also reiterated MCA secretary-general Chew Mei Fun’s stance that Nazri Abdul Aziz ought to be sacked from being BN secretary-general over his racially incendiary remarks while stumping for BN in the Semenyih by-election.

"I hope the BN supreme council will look into this matter seriously as it has not only brought harm to the Chinese but also the Indians.

“I hope there will be immediate action against Nazri after the Semenyih by-election, who is no longer qualified as the BN secretary-general,” Wee said.

Polling day for the Semenyih by-election was today.

Nazri and MCA have been engaging in public spats since the 2008 general election.

The Umno man recently said there was no urgency to call for a BN supreme council meeting and urged MCA to leave BN. - Mkini