MCA has no choice but to support PN, says analyst

 

MCA president Wee Ka Siong and his Umno counterpart, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, at the MCA’s annual general meeting in December 2019.

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional (BN) component party MCA has no choice but to continue supporting the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government under Muhyiddin Yassin, despite his shaky majority, an analyst said.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said MCA, which currently has two seats – Ayer Hitam and Tanjung Piai – would have to hold onto whatever it has “as much as it could and for as long as it could”.

He said there is no certainty as to who Umno would align with next.

Umno withdrew support for PN this week following allegations that Muhyiddin misled the Yang di-Pertuan Agong over the revocation of the emergency ordinances.

“What if Umno is planning to ally itself with DAP? If so, MCA may be reduced to perhaps not having a lot of the political appointments as it enjoys now,” Oh said.

He said Muhyiddin has been generous to MCA, appointing both its elected MPs to his government – party president Wee Ka Siong as a minister, and Wee Jeck Seng as a deputy minister.

However, Oh said, this support would come at a cost in the next general election, as MCA would not be able to depend on PN’s grassroots, now mainly consisting of Bersatu and PAS, for votes.

He said that, realistically, MCA would not stand a chance against DAP.

“Over the past year, have they done anything (to win the support of the Chinese community)? Nobody has heard of much.

“Even Bersatu can’t depend on PAS grassroots, especially to contend in Malay-majority seats, what more MCA?

“There is no hope for them in the next general election. We’re talking about zero.”

MCA stalwart Yap Pian Hon said the party has no choice but to continue supporting the government, given that no single party at the moment has a convincing majority.

“Even now, Muhyiddin’s Bersatu cannot control Parliament, unless it teams up with others. If not, no single party has control of the government. What should MCA do? This is their dilemma.”

He said the party leadership must therefore retain its support for the government, as it is the only Chinese representation in the ruling coalition.

“We cannot let the interests of the Chinese community be left outside of the mainstream,” he said.

Yap said MCA can only “try their best” in the upcoming elections, adding that they may have “a good chance” against DAP.

“We have a good chance, the Chinese community is in a dilemma. They see the political situation in DAP now … even they could not represent the interests of the Chinese fully during their 22 months in government.” - FMT