Party president Wee Ka Siong says seats MCA previously contested were allocated to other parties without proper consultation.
MCA president Wee Ka Siong said the party had met BN’s other component parties only once in Melaka before negotiations concluded.
PETALING JAYA: MCA leaders walked out of a Barisan Nasional event announcing the coalition’s candidates for the Nov 14 Melaka election tonight, saying the party would not accept decisions made without its consent.
MCA president Wee Ka Siong said seats previously contested by the party had been allocated to other parties without proper consultation, despite MCA being a long-standing BN component party.
“MCA cannot be pushed around. We deserve to be treated with dignity. How can decisions be made on MCA’s behalf without our agreement when the MCA president is still here?” he was quoted as saying by The Star.
Wee walked out of the event at the Melaka International Trade Centre with MCA deputy president Mah Hang Soon and leaders from six MCA divisions in Melaka.
He said BN’s executive secretary had informed MCA at about 9pm yesterday that the event would only involve the launch of the coalition’s election machinery, with no candidates to be announced.
However, after arriving at the venue, he was told that candidates might be announced.
Wee questioned BN’s leadership over the change, saying MCA had learnt at a meeting two days ago that seats it had previously contested would be allocated to other parties without proper negotiations.
He said MCA strongly objected to the proposed seat allocation and sent a letter to BN yesterday to formally express its disagreement.
Wee described the situation as unprecedented in his years in politics, saying MCA had met BN’s other component parties only once in Melaka before negotiations concluded.
“At the very least, we should be shown some respect. We are allies, not enemies. If there had been proper discussions and we had reached a decision together, we would have been prepared to share responsibility,” he said.
Wee said the walkout was intended to make it clear that MCA would not accept decisions made without consultation.
He also said the walkout concerned the seat allocation process in Melaka and should not be taken as a reflection of MCA’s broader cooperation within BN. “We still have time before nomination day. I hope this can be corrected,” he said.
When asked whether MCA would withdraw from contesting in Melaka, Wee said the party had yet to make a decision and would assess developments over the next few days.
MCA previously held Klebang and Machap Jaya in the Melaka state assembly after contesting seven seats in the 2021 state election, including Ayer Keroh, Kesidang, Kota Laksamana, Bandar Hilir and Bemban. - FMT
The coalition will field candidates in 21 of the state’s 28 constituencies, amid speculation of a possible electoral understanding with Bersatu.
Speaking at the Hang Jebat Stadium car park in Melaka tonight, PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim praised Adly Zahari as a former chief minister who had proven his competence. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) will contest only 21 of the 28 seats in the Nov 14 Melaka state election, with former chief minister Adly Zahari to defend the Bukit Katil seat.
Azman Abidin, the political secretary to PH chairman Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, will contest the Paya Rumput seat, while Ginie Lim will stand in Machap Jaya.
Other candidates include Kerk Chee Yee, who will defend his Ayer Keroh seat, Jason Tze-Xi Nathan in Pengkalan Batu and Farzana Hayani in Klebang.
PH is not contesting seven seats, including Bemban, amid speculation of a possible electoral understanding with Bersatu.
Although Melaka PH has maintained that it will contest the state election on its own, speculation of an understanding with Bersatu has persisted following a dinner between state PH and Bersatu leaders last month, which was not attended by DAP representatives.
Speaking at the Hang Jebat Stadium car park in Melaka tonight, Anwar praised Adly as a former chief minister who had proven his competence.
Adly first won Bukit Katil in the 2018 general election with a 3,159-vote majority in a three-cornered contest. He retained the seat in the 2021 Melaka state election, but his majority shrank to 1,057 votes in a four-cornered fight.
Nomination day for the Melaka election is scheduled for Oct 31, with early voting on Nov 10 and polling day on Nov 14.
In the 2021 state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats, while PH secured five and Perikatan Nasional won two.
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh previously hinted that he might contest another seat.
Ab Rauf Yusoh (left) and Dr Akmal Saleh are among the BN leaders who will defend their seats in the Nov 14 Melaka state election.
PETALING JAYA: Melaka Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh will defend his Tanjung Bidara seat in the Nov 14 Melaka state election.
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, meanwhile, will defend his Merlimau seat despite previously hinting that he might contest another seat.
Akmal triggered speculation about his electoral prospects when he asked in a Facebook post whether he should contest in Serkam or Sungai Rambai after thanking voters in Merlimau for electing him in the 2021 state polls and giving him his first term in office.
He was elected Merlimau assemblyman in 2021 with a majority of 3,248 votes, retaining the Umno stronghold for BN.
The list of 21 candidates announced by BN tonight showed that the coalition chose not to defend seven of its previous seats and is also fielding several new faces.
Among the incumbents dropped from the coming state polls is former chief minister Sulaiman Ali, who will not defend Lendu.
The others are VP Shanmugam (Gadek), Zahari Kalil (Durian Tunggal), Kalsom Noordin (Pengkalan Batu), Rahmad Mariman (Ayer Molek), Zaidi Attan (Serkam) and Siti Faizah Azis (Sungai Rambai).
Paya Rumput incumbent Rais Yasin will contest Sungai Udang, the seat previously held by Dr Aleef Yusof of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Paya Rumput is one of the seven seats that BN has allocated to PN, besides Bemban, Bukit Katil, Ayer Keroh, Bandar Hilir, Kota Laksamana and Kesidang.
Nomination day for the Melaka election is scheduled for Oct 31, with early voting on Nov 10 and polling day on Nov 14.
In the 2021 state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats, while PH secured five and Perikatan Nasional won two.
THERE is a rusty cannon on the ground of the Smokehouse Hotel and Restaurant at Tanah Rata in Cameron Highlands and it probably saw active service during the Second World War.
The Tudor-style, half-timbered hotel was built in 1937 to cater largely to British residents, most probably those who were serving in the army or in the colonial administration.
This 89-year-old building stood the test of time and today it still welcomes domestic and foreign tourists come to enjoy its rustic and charming surroundings.
What was it like when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded the then Malaya at the start of the world war in 1941?
According to some reports, as soon as the Japanese saw the hotel, they immediately evicted all the guests to accommodate their high-ranking officers.
A glimpse into yesteryear’s nostalgia
They probably treated the British guests – if there were any – as prisoners of war and had them transferred to an unknown detention centre.
Let’s imagine the scenario as the invaders approached the hotel. By then, the establishment was probably guarded by British soldiers with the lone cannon.
The battle must have been fierce but brief because the place was not bombed or razed. By then, British forces in Malaya had surrendered to Japan and the flag of the rising sun must have been unfurled from the top of the hotel.
For the exhausted troops, they must have celebrated their victory with the popping of champagne or any Japanese wine in an outburst of bacchanalian orgy.
The cowed population, numbering perhaps a few hundred local inhabitants, must have heard of the all-night revelry as they awaited the dawn of a new frightening era.
Besides being a place of relaxation and pleasure, the Smokehouse hotel could have been used as a military command centre for the imperial army.
From here the high-ranking officers could have meticulously planned their next move as they tightened their control over their newly won colony.
Perhaps, the hotel could have doubled up as an administrative centre as well where the locals had to obey whatever laws the new Asian master saw fit to introduce at their whims and fancies.
Did they turn Smokehouse into a chamber of torture? Given the ruthlessness of the Japanese soldiers, it would not be too far-fetched to imagine them tormenting their prisoners in rooms or underground cellars turned into death cells.
Did the soldiers round up villagers in the vicinity for interrogation? Were the victims buried in the surrounding areas in unmarked graves?
Rustic charm of the 89-year-old Smokehouse Hotel and Restaurant at Tanah Rata in Cameron Highlands (Image credit: Tripadvisor)
The truth may be buried in the ashes of history but what is incontrovertible is that in any war, there are bound to be horrific crimes committed against humanity.
Modern times appeal
Today, Smokehouse, left unscathed after Japan surrendered to the allied forces, is a retreat for holidaymakers seeking peace and respite from the bustle of city life.
Every now and then, buses would disgorge foreign tourists who came to get a feel of old England. For the elderly from UK, they probably were reliving memories of their time in Malaya either as soldiers or colonial officers.
For the aged Japanese visitors, some were probably part of the invasion force who had a whale of a time at Smokehouse. Very likely they knew which room they had stayed after the battle of Cameron Highlands.
You can stroll around the small garden replicating an “olde” English country scene or take a snapshot beside the retired cannon.
How about a taste of British tradition? Then step into the restaurant and order your afternoon English tea served with the hotel’s famed scones eaten with clotted cream and jam.
The interior decor has that homey feeling with its antiques, vintage clocks, oil paintings and wooden furniture.
Wonder what the Japanese occupiers had for their afternoon tea. Surely not the scones when they were fighting the British. Perhaps, they had powdered green tea and white rice which were usually part of their war-time ration.
Or for a change, they ate strawberries and drank BOH tea and consumed rice seized from nearby farms.
If you are an avid golfer, you can head to a nearby golf course whose gentle rolling slopes could have been the battlefield that saw the imperial army overwhelmed the outnumbered allies.
Staying overnight? After a tiring trip up the narrow, winding road you may want to unwind in one of the cottage-style rooms and enjoy the cool mountain breeze wafting through the open windows.
And if you imagine that you heard the plaintive cry of someone out there – a lost soul from the Japanese era, perhaps – just cover yourself with the blanket from head to toe.
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT
