Former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming said there is no danger of DAP turning into “MCA 2.0” as there are major differences between the two parties.
He explained what people meant by the comparison is whether DAP would dare to speak up on issues as it did before becoming part of the government bloc.
“I don’t think DAP is in any danger of turning into a full-fledged MCA 2.0 anytime soon,” he said on the “Are we OK?” podcast.
Firstly, Ong said MCA was in power for over 50 years and took a long time to turn into the party that it is today.
Unlike MCA, DAP has not become part of the Chinese business and corporate landscape, he added.
“But I also think that, importantly, the leaders in DAP are still people who really want to serve the nation,” he said.
On that note, Ong acknowledged that the momentum for institutional reforms seems to have stalled at the moment.
In response to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's partial pardon, Ong said the DAP central executive council (CEC) should issue a statement on the matter, although such an action is not part of the party’s culture.
He also said that DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke does not seem to consult widely within the party and that has placed pressure on him.
The former deputy minister contrasted this with Umno, which puts out statements from its supreme council regularly.
Besides that, Ong commented on pressures placed on Loke, saying the party leader had to deal with many controversies recently.
This includes Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham’s statement on the syariah law committee and the proposal by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming to nominate several Chinese new villages in Selangor for a Unesco World Heritage Site status.
Rocky ties with Bersatu
Reminiscing the past, Ong said DAP did not do well in managing its relationship with its then-partner Bersatu in 2018.
“DAP did not manage the narrative and its relationship with some of the Bersatu leaders with regard to several issues involving 3R (race, religion, and royalty).
“Whether it was the… some of the ‘perhimpunan’ (assembly) that passed it and then the bumiputera congress and things like that, even the response on the Jawi issue.
“So that, directly or indirectly, led to Bersatu leaving the Pakatan Harapan coalition that led to the government falling apart,” he said.
The experience, Ong added, is bound to place a heavy burden on Loke’s shoulders.
New village fiasco
Further, on the matter of Chinese new villages, he said it was natural for the matter to be turned into a 3R issue, given the current political atmosphere.
“The Unesco application process is a long and tedious one and Nga should have sought advice before speaking about it.
“There are also some practical questions he should have thought about.
"For example, there are over 400 Chinese new villages in Malaysia. Are we going to make all of them a Unesco heritage site?” he asked.
Citing another example, Ong said Jinjang, Kepong used to be the largest Chinese new village in Malaysia but it has now become part of a larger urban area.
“So, how would you promote that as having some sort of historical value?” he asked.
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