KUALA LUMPUR: MCA has called upon the prime minister to rectify the neglect and abandonment of Chinese new villages in the country as a result of changes under "Malaysia Baru".
Its vice-president Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said new villages represent a special settlement landscape in Malaysia forming the roots of the Chinese social, economic, cultural and religious ways of life.
"They are also synonymous to MCA, a party that has its outreach, touch points and network in every new village in the country.
"Prior to 1970, there were no special allocations for new village developments and these settlements were the "neglected orphans" with poor infrastructure and social amenities compared to nearby townships," he said.
During the Eighth Malaysia Plan, the allocation of new village development was increased from RM45 million to RM107.6 million.
For the period of 2000 to 2005, then MCA president, Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, as Minister of Housing and Local Government, managed to secure a further RM209 million in addition to the original new village development fund of RM117.46, thus delivering RM326.55 million for that period.
"The welfare, social amenities and improved infrastructure are critically important for the continued wellbeing of new village residents.
"The intended socio-economic transformation of new villages require a smart partnership with various stakeholders from the government, non-governmental organisations, private sector and local communities.
"MCA is the only political party having a close and proximate connection with all these stakeholders with a history of success," said Ti.
In attending to the new villages and residents, MCA has a network of New Village Development Officers (PKP) and Village Headmen (Ketua Masyarakat).
At the State level, the State Executive Councillor designated to be in charge of the Chinese villages has always been an MCA State Assemblyman since there is no specific department or body of staff to administer or be responsible for the new villages.
"This was so until MCA lost their state seats one after another creating a vacuum resulting in the many issues of land titles and tenure, agriculture activities, animal husbandry, cottage and small-scale industries, youth and rural unemployment being left unresolved or unattended to.
"Further, the urbanisation of new villages have caused environmental problems resulting in flash floods when it rains.
"Out of 450 new villages, 233 or 52% experienced floods. However, this has improved over the years as a result of better care, sewerage services and solid waste disposal systems under the passionate stewardship of MCA Ministers at the Housing and Local Government Ministry," he said.
However, he said this changed when MCA lost badly in the 2013 General Election and the post of Minister of Housing and Local Government was taken over by Umno in 2013.
However, the Umno minister continued to maintain and adopt MCA's infrastructure and network to assist in serving the New Villages.
This however changed when Pakatan Harapan came into power and MCA was left with only one Member of Parliament (MP).
DAP had won and ousted most of MCA's representatives in Parliament and wrested control of the government with the biggest number of 42 MPs.
"However DAP had deemed it fit to abandon this Ministry and wilfully neglected the welfare of the mainly Chinese community in the new villages despite obtaining nearly 90 per cent of the villagers' support," said Ti.
When the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government collapsed and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) took over the government in March 2020, MCA once again found themselves back in the government and attempted to correct the "break" in the chain of administration or connection with the new village stakeholders.
"MCA appointed an official to liaise with the Minister of Housing and Local Government, Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin, to revert back to the old structure or representation to enable a more effective
attention and focus to resolve the many problems faced by the new villages but failed.
"As of today, when the PN government collapsed, there is an obvious disconnect between the government under PH and PN in respect of new village administration and the residents.
"Many new village residents have approached me, complaining and expressing their grouses that collectively indicated a sense of abandonment since Malaysia Baru arrived in 2018.
"We need a Minister or at least a Deputy who can empathise, understand and comprehend the needs and expectations of the new villages," he added. - NST
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