Senator Ti Lian Ker has weighed in on the exchange between senior MCA and DAP leaders, saying while MCA is at a crossroads, it is rival party DAP’s “confusing” position that is the greater problem.
In a statement last night, the former MCA vice-president said DAP is the Achilles heel of the coalition government as it is the largest party in terms of parliamentary seats but is mistrusted by Malay voters.
“MCA is at a crossroads today. This is the second time that MCA has had to face a situation like this when MCA lost badly at the hands of DAP and the average Malay voter starts to feel uncomfortable with DAP’s big victory especially when DAP managed to get a lot of support from Chinese voters.
“This raised doubts in the Malay community because DAP is still seen as a Chinese chauvinist party despite claiming to be a multi-racial party.
“This is DAP’s biggest challenge and also the biggest challenge of the BN and Pakatan Harapan coalition government as DAP - even though it is the largest party in the unity government - they are actually the ‘Achilles heel’ or weak point of this unity government,” Ti (above) said.
Drawn from a story in Greek mythology, an Achilles’ heel refers to a weakness in spite of overall strength, that can lead to downfall.
Ti said that was particularly noticeable when the BN/Harapan coalition still failed to win the Malay popular vote in several by-elections since the 2022 general election, adding that the popular vote won in Malay areas is reducing and does not reflect the total number of votes secured by BN and Harapan in that election.
The current spat unfolded when MCA president Wee Ka Siong hit out at DAP’s Teresa Kok’s labelling of the BN component party as “sesat” or misguided in its supposed attacks on her party.
He also insisted that MCA will continue to speak up with constructive criticisms of the government, contrary to Kok’s claim of his words being a sign of unwillingness to work together with the DAP or Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
Wee said it was slanderous of Kok to say that he ‘attacked’ DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, stressing that while he criticised Loke as his successor in the Transport Ministry, both issues were on matters of public interest - data security concerns over the MyJPJ application, and airfares to Sabah and Sarawak.
Historical rivalry
According to Ti, MCA was first affected by DAP when the latter party did well in the third general election of 1969.
“They won big in GE3 on the manifesto of abolishing ‘bumiputera special rights’ as in their 1967 Setapak Declaration and returning English and mother tongue as official languages as in their Cultural Declaration.
“Of course, the DAP declaration was supported by the majority of Chinese and non-Malay voters because their propaganda was based on, and to fulfil, their political desires, instincts, and appetites,” he said.
Ti added that, thanks to this, DAP managed to get a big victory and increase their seats from one seat to 13 while opposition parties also won 50.7 percent of the total votes, as well as 49 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
“DAP’s big victory at that time caused racial tension which also led to the racial riots on May 13, 1969,” he claimed.
“In the last GE15, DAP once again managed to achieve a great victory by winning 40 parliamentary seats which is also the largest number of seats in the unity government and this has also to some extent caused the doubts and suspicions of the Malay voters.
“Fortunately, Umno and BN have agreed to support a unity government for the sake of political stability and to ease the communal political tension due to the big victory of DAP on one side and the big victory of PAS on the other,” he said.
Ti said in the past, it was the political reality that forced MCA to accept cooperation with Umno in the name of the Alliance Party despite accusations at the time that MCA had mortgaged the right to equality by working with a larger party.
“The political reality also forced MCA to cooperate with Gerakan and other opposition parties in 1969 to ease the racial political tension.
“This same political reality also forced MCA to support the unity government led by Anwar in the last GE15 to stabilise the country’s politics which was in turmoil due to political accusations and political provocations from DAP in particular.
“Now the MCA leadership once again has to accept the political fact that DAP has usurped MCA’s role in the government and DAP has also started following MCA’s script and political approach all this time,” Ti claimed.
‘MCA seen as moderate’
He said it was DAP that had now made a U-turn by embracing and submitting to Umno’s struggle.
“The difference is that Malay voters are still suspicious and wary of the existence and political power of DAP which is dominant in the unity government.
“The difference between MCA and DAP is that MCA is seen and accepted as a moderate party and also MCA’s approach and political journey is based on moderation. MCA has never chanted political rhetoric to abolish the rights of bumiputera enshrined in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution or efforts in that direction.
“Today, MCA is forced to cooperate with DAP and it is well known that MCA’s traditional voters so far consist of a large number of Malay voters who support MCA’s struggle as a non-radical party.
“Therefore, MCA is seen to lose Malay votes which are currently leaning towards PAS due to the discomfort of Malay voters, including Umno members, with DAP towards this unity government coalition,” added Ti.
He said DAP still does not recognise the sacrifices of MCA to consolidate the current federal government but prefers to continue mocking MCA as a party with two parliamentary seats that is dependent on the support of Malay majority voters.
“Therefore Kok’s statement that ‘MCA is misguided’ is true but MCA never insults, mocks, or humiliates opposing parties and remains loyal to comrades in difficult times. MCA doesn’t choose friends and enemies according to political convenience and expediency,” said Ti.
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