MCA and DAP were at loggerheads for decades until the formation of the coalition government, which forced them to become reluctant allies and enter into a brittle truce.
However, according to MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker, Umno supreme council member Lokman Adam appears to be picking up where DAP left off.
He even congratulated DAP for enlisting a former critic as its “spokesperson”, noting how the Umno man had switched positions from “no DAP to becoming a DAP defender”.
MCA, like MIC, are sore with Lokman (above) for labelling them as liabilities to BN for their failure to make an impact since the 2008 general election.
In a statement this afternoon, Ti castigated the Umno leader and recalled DAP’s “Setapak Declaration” which states that “in the process of nation-building, ethnic equality must be made the paramount principle, and it is upon this principle that the separation of citizens into bumiputera and non-bumiputera is strongly opposed.”
As a result of this narrative, Ti said DAP courted popular support whereas Chinese and Indian votes for BN began to dwindle.
Another “fact”, he said, was Umno’s internal politics causing an erosion of Malay support as disgruntled former leaders set up splinter parties to vie for the same voter demographic.
“DAP had also ‘used and rode on’ these (former Umno) personalities to the point that it not only monopolised Chinese and Indian votes, but also obtained the support of Malay voters who were once staunch supporters of BN,” he added.
‘Don’t be insolent’
Ti mentioned that DAP’s past clarion call for change had been premised on the depiction of Umno as a “party of thieves” and BN responded with the “No DAP” resolution.
“This is the background and political realities which we must accept on a collective basis.
“Lokman should not be insolent like DAP which had termed MCA as Umno’s ‘running dog’,” he said, referring to the Umno leader using the Malay expression “biawak hidup” to describe the two parties as a burden.
Since becoming part of BN, Ti said MCA practised the politics of moderation and respected differences.
“Does Lokman want MCA to become an extremist and chauvinist party to win votes and sacrifice harmony in multiracial Malaysia?
“DAP has often accused MCA and MIC of failing to defend or represent the Chinese and Indians. DAP has planted the doctrine that MCA and MIC are subservient to Umno,” he said.
Ti cited the 1986 general election, where DAP circulated the photograph of an MCA candidate wearing a songkok.
“(This) resulted in him losing… because of extremist attacks that the MCA candidate had pawned Chinese pride by wearing the songkok…
“When Pakatan Harapan campaigned on ‘siapa sokong penyamun?’ (who supports thieves) to garner votes in the last election, it was a clear reference to Umno and its leaders, not MCA.
“Whatever said and done, congratulations DAP because Lokman is the new DAP spokesperson… Who is the real traitor?” he added. - Mkini
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