MCA sec-gen Chong Sin Woon admits the party had been wrong in the past to remain silent on corruption when it was expected to correct the course of the then BN government.
MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon said these were two key pledges by Pakatan Harapan in the past and were crucial to restoring faith in the coalition’s reform agenda, particularly after its drubbing in the Sabah state election last week.
“Both reforms can be implemented immediately. They cost nothing, require no lengthy process, and would produce instant impact,” he said in opening Wanita MCA’s general assembly today.
He said “PH appears to have selective amnesia about its own promises” and pointed out that, in the 2018 general election campaign, DAP deputy secretary-general Hannah Yeoh had strongly advocated that the prime minister must not hold the finance portfolio.
Her call came in the wake of the 1MDB scandal which implicated then prime minister Najib Razak, who had also held the finance portfolio.
Chong also pointed out that after Najib, the subsequent three prime ministers did not hold the finance minister’s post concurrently.
On MACC chief Azam, Chong said several PH leaders had pushed for Azam’s removal in the years prior to Anwar’s appointment as prime minister.
However, the unity government led by Anwar had extended Azam’s tenure twice, with his current contract running to May next year.
MCA must not remain silent on corruption
Chong said the Sabah polls were an important reminder that MCA needed to return to its original political purpose – to genuinely serve the people and always maintain a clear political direction.
However MCA had fallen short in cases where Malaysians, particularly the Chinese community, had expected the party to speak up and correct the course of the BN government then.
“But we did not succeed in changing the policy direction. When corruption or abuse of power occurred, the public expected us to take a firm stance. However, we did not act decisively.
“A political party that fails to stand firm during critical moments, that has no clear stance, will ultimately be abandoned by voters, no matter how much service it provides.
“Citizens are not ungrateful for service, but they care more about whether the country is heading in the right direction, whether the party’s principles are right, and whether political leaders can protect their future.”
Chong said DAP was now experiencing the same situation as MCA did in the past. In a reference to the Sabah mining scandal, he said DAP chose to stay silent when faced by corruption scandals allegedly involving government figures.
DAP also failed to address what truly mattered to Sabahans and kept repeating the need for stability. “This mirrors the mistakes MCA once made. When your direction is wrong, when your stance becomes vague, and when your moral bottom line is compromised, no amount of resources can restore people’s trust,” Chong said.
“The rakyat’s voice is simple and clear. They do not want corruption and abuse of power. They do not want extremism or for race and religion to be manipulated. The rakyat detest injustice, double standards, bureaucratic arrogance, and political deceit.
“Instead, they want a safe and stable home to raise their children with peace of mind. Therefore, when the needs of the rakyat come first, our party’s direction becomes naturally clear,” said Chong. - FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.