MCA-Umno row over quotas: Classic race-based politics at play

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

UPDATED with DPM's quotes In a bid to milk maximum political mileage, MCA and Umno leaders continued to trade barbs over a recent high-profile economic congress, where Prime Minister Najib Razak and his brother had asked the Chinese community to spearhead the New Economic Model.

“Firstly, the NEM is still a myth rather than a reality. Najib is asking the Chinese to spearhead a shadow. It is actually quite insulting. But this is the nature of race-based politics," PKR strategic director Tian told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Still, the brothers are careful of conceding even this. They have their cousin Hishammuddin waiting in place to make the corrective noises just in case Umno hard liners get upset. Basically, Hisham is warning MCA not to get too swell-headed. So from that you already know - nothing is going to change.”

Will backfire

Indeed the Chinese Economic Congress held on Saturday has helped revived some interest in Najib’s 1Malaysia plan but that is unlikely to last. In fact, pundits expect the entire episode to backfire despite the sabre-rattling by both Umno and MCA to impress their respective constituents.

Malaysians, especially hard-nosed investors, have been shocked at the way Najib has allowed many of his key programmes to suddenly drop off the radar following protests from ultra Malay rights groups like Perkasa and former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

The ease with which Najib let go of his proposals has sparked speculation he knows he is unable to control the Umno hard liners, and has already accepted the fact that his reformist socio-economic plan is unlikely to ever see the light of day.

On Sunday, Hishammuddin had warned the MCA not to forsake the interest of the BN coalition after the Chinese party presented 13 resolution to Najib, including a call to remove the 30 percent Malay and bumiputera quota on company shareholdings.

Even Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin has rushed to show his Malay credentials, warning the MCA not to undermine his community's rights.

“If they want to fight for the Chinese community it must not touch on the interest of the Malays.I hope component parties will take this into consideration, so as not to cause any misunderstanding,” Muhyiddin said on Monday.

Classic example of race-based politics

But it was Perkasa’s colorful president Ibrahim Ali who beat both Hisham and Muhyiddin to it. Ibrahim rained blows not just on the MCA but also on Najib and his brother Nazir.

“Perkasa denounces and condemns outright their (MCA's) request for the government to lower the 30 per cent equity for Bumiputera. This shows their ungrateful attitude to the Malay community and Bumiputeras who have compromised and tolerated because of the social contract in our constitution," Ibrahim shot out.

Umno's and Perkasa's race-based exhortations opened the door for MCA president Chua Soi Lek and even vice-president Chor Chee Heung to fire back in a similar vein.

“If some Barisan Nasional leaders continue to live in their own world, they will certainly push MCA to its doom and it will not bring the ruling coalition any good. Hishammuddin cannot blame MCA for deviating from the objectives and struggles of BN simply because MCA has a different voice from him or other component party leaders,” said Chua in a statement out on Monday.

“MCA has consistently showed its loyalty to BN. In times when Umno had encountered difficulties in the 1980s and 1990s, MCA never abandoned Umno. Nevertheless, we also have to take cognizance that such a statement from a coalition partner which hinges on political hegemony (would) cause voters to turn away from BN,” read Chor’s statement, which was issued separately.