KUALA LUMPUR — An Umno Youth leader demanded that MCA leave Barisan Nasional (BN) over its objection to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s stand on the “red shirts” rally, saying the party’s departure would barely affect the pact’s parliamentary numbers.
The leader, Titiwangsa Umno Youth chief Nazir Hussin Akhtar Hussin, also accused MCA of not pulling its weight as BN’s second largest component party, pointing to the pact’s flagging Chinese support.
“We want Chinese leaders who can work,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
“It doesn’t matter if MCA stays with BN or moves out since they are not doing much, and they don’t represent much in BN’s parliamentary (numbers) anyway,” Nazir continued.
If MCA leaders had really done their part, he said, the Chinese community would not have turned their support to the DAP.
“MCA has been rejected by the Chinese. You go anywhere and they won’t tell you they support MCA... MCA should leave BN,” he said.
Nazir also lashed out at MCA Youth chief Senator Chong Sin Woon for saying last month that party members were allowed to participate in the Bersih 4 rally calling for Najib’s resignation, among others.
He labelled Chong’s statement “stupid”, especially when the leader was appointed senator by Najib and given the post of deputy education minister.
“He received a senatorship because of PM and he encouraged his party members to join the rally? This itself already shows that we don’t see eye to eye on matters anymore.
“Bersih 4 was a clear show that the Chinese mostly do not want BN and allowing your members to join such a thing is like severing ties with us already,” the second-term Umno Youth exco said.
Tempers flared in the MCA last week after the September 16 “red shirts” rally in the city when Umno leaders, particularly prime minister and BN chairman Najib, issued statements that appeared to indicate their backing of the gathering.
The event, said to be in support of Najib’s leadership, was held to counter the mammoth two-day Bersih 4 gathering on August 29 and 30 that drew tens of thousands to the streets to call for the prime minister’s resignation.
Although #Merah169’s organisers from silat group Pesaka initially insisted that the gathering was open to all races and was not to protest the purported Chinese domination of Bersih 4, the event quickly turned racial when some participants spewed racist and anti-Chinese messages.
These racially-tinged messages drew condemnation from non-Malay parties, including the MCA and those in the federal opposition, and saw reports lodged over banners calling for the abolition of Chinese vernacular schools and carrying the phrase “Cina babi”, among others.
Najib, however, defended the protest as being peaceful. The prime minister, who was speaking at an event by rally organisers Pesaka last week, also said it was the result of alleged insults to the Malay community.
The prime minister’s comment triggered an outburst three days ago from Pasir Gudang MCA Youth chief Cia Cow Hui who announced that his wing was severing ties with Najib.
MCA’s leadership will be holding a special meeting tomorrow to discuss the party’s position on both Bersih 4 and #Merah169. - Mkini
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