Dr M slapstick comparison slap on MCA’s own face

Immediately after I read the article, The Three Stooges of Malaysia, I messaged the writer Ti Lian Ker.

Posturing himself as a political observer, Ti is, in fact, the chairperson of the MCA religious harmony bureau.

“Oh no! You cannot write such an article comparing the three political heads to The Three Stooges. You will surely ‘kena’ (get) heckled by a lot of people.”

Sure enough within hours, readers’ comments started appearing. As I read the comments, I shook my head: “Poor Ti, he doesn’t seem to know how to read the mood of the people.”

By taking a swipe at these three political stalwarts - former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang - he is definitely in for political suicide.

For someone who claims that he “believes in MCA still,” I have to say that he has also dragged the BN component party down with this absurd, or perhaps, “despicable” political jibe. I do not know what other words to use to describe the article.

Political immaturity

This is why I told him that I fully agree with Malaysiakini columnist Fa Abdul in her article about cabinet ministers.

I made the same observations and wrote about this a couple of years ago. Back in the 90s, I could tell that Chua Jui Meng was the health minister, Fong Chan Onn was the human resources minister replacing Lim Ah Lek, and Ling Liong Sik was the MCA president.

And of course, there was then minister of housing and local government Ting Chew Pei, who was nearly whacked during a press conference at the launch of the House Buyers’ Association that I attended as a part time journalist with The Malay Mail.

Till today, I am still in touch with Fong and Chua, but I have lost touch with Lim. After Ling’s era, the newer MCA presidents were younger faces, and they never made an impact.

I lost faith in MCA after a new batch of ministers and deputy ministers from MCA took over various posts. Chan Kong Choy, Kong Cho Ha, Wee Ka Siong and a number of others were just “hopeless” people, in my opinion. At the Selangor state government, there was former Rawang state assemblyperson Tang See Hang, who failed to solve a number of issues we had with developers.

I also recall attending a launch for Facon Exhibition, where the then deputy higher education minister Tan Chai Ho was reading out a speech in English. My jaws nearly dropped, as Tan was unable to even pronounce certain words properly.

In the audience were the pro vice chancellors of a number of private universities; I was wondering what went through their minds when they saw such a person could hold the post of deputy higher education minister.

It was so embarrassing for me, a fellow Malaysian, to be sitting in the room where Tan made every blunder in his attempt to give a speech in English.

Much to learn

So, with that, I told Ti that he and his leaders in MCA have a lot to learn. At this juncture, I cannot even mention who is the president of MCA and what post he is holding, except that he nearly lost in the last general election, if not for some last minute boost in the votes during the counting.

I would like to tell Ti and other MCA minister-wannabes that in multicultural Malaysia, unless MCA recruits more politically mature men and women of integrity, its credibility is gone, as far as the Chinese community is concerned.

And the main reason why the Chinese community has abandoned MCA is because they see there is no future with MCA being aligned to Umno – and now, even with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and his party. Its leaders are still lacking in political maturity, especially when you have someone like Ti who could churn out such an article comparing the three political stalwarts to a slapstick comedy show.

If I may quote one reader, Steve Oh, it is more like the three musketeers to save Malaysia from Cardinal Richelieu, who represented the various injustices, abuses, and absurdities of the old regime.

Still going for a round of food review with me after this, Ti?

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STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.- Mkini