Wee: Don't call this a Malay-Muslim gov't

MCA president Wee Ka Siong said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was leading a government for all Malaysians.

"I don't want to hear that this is a Malay-Muslim government," said Wee in an interview with Sinar Harian that was published today.

"I am here to help the prime minister and cabinet to reflect Malaysian diversity.

"We are here to play an important role to ensure social stability and seek the best for the rakyat without ethnic considerations. This is important."

Wee is the sole Chinese to be appointed into Muhyiddin's cabinet. There are three others from MCA that were appointed deputy ministers.

Not a conspiracy, not a power grab

Wee said the formation of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government which Muhyiddin leads was not a conspiracy or a power grab.

"This is an internal strategy (by Bersatu). They (Pakatan Harapan) have long been at odds and this (change of government) is the height of it," said Wee, who is now a cabinet minister.

MCA's view on the matter, said Wee, was that the cracks within the previous Harapan government were caused by Amanah, DAP and Anwar Ibrahim.

He said MCA's role in the matter was due to its association with BN and Muafakat Nasional. He said his party had campaigned alongside the two coalitions in recent by-elections.

"When we have that sort of opposition solidarity, we, as the opposition bloc, supported Muhyiddin as prime minister when Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned.

"So why did MCA get involved with PN? To me, it is not a coincidence but it is because we knew Harapan was in tatters over the past 22 months," he said.

There were precedents

Wee said he was "amazed" with the maturity of Malaysia's democracy and he was proud that there can be a bloodless transition of power.

When BN lost the 2018 general election, he said the coalition accepted and respected the results.

"Suddenly, 22 months later the same system allowed whoever who had the support of at least 112 MPs to become prime minister.

"We should not dispute the validity of this system," he said.

The MCA president said the same transition of power were observed in Perak and Sabah in the past.

"If these examples are not considered a 'power grab' or 'backdoor government', why is the same system being used now called a 'backdoor government'?

"To me, this is a tactic used by them (the Opposition) to poison the minds of the public," he said. - Mkini