Why MCA can stick to its principle of staying out of KKB polls but MIC has to make last minute U-turn?

 

THE MCA – once the grand old party of the Chinese in Malaysia – will not bend to the pressures of the Madani government or even the Barisan Nasional (BN) so-called “big brother” UMNO to campaign on behalf of the Pakatan Harapan (PH)/DAP candidate in the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election on May 11.

MCA might have been under the thumb of UMNO for decades but the party having realised its historical folly might want to rectify some of these mistakes.

There have been requests from the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the party to campaign on behalf of the PH/DAP candidate.

However, MCA has stuck to its principle of not campaigning in support of the DAP candidate. The reasoning is simple: how can MCA forget overnight all the nasty things said by DAP leaders against the party and its leaders.

Very recently, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook went to the extent of calling MCA the enemy of DAP. Given such attitude, on what grounds would MCA campaign on behalf of the DAP candidate?

The MCA of today might be a weak party and theoretically within the BN coalition but it has nevertheless stated clearly and unequivocally that it would not support the DAP candidate in KKB polls.

“Carrot and stick game”

However, unlike MCA, MIC has a change of heart after its leaders were advised by Anwar to campaign on behalf of the DAP candidate.

Maybe, Anwar dangled both the carrot and stick for the MIC leadership to change its mind. It will be difficult though to speculate on the details of the carrot and the stick.

Earlier the MIC leadership has stated that they preferred to stay out of the polls. The position was the same as the MCA. Why the sudden change of mind remains a mystery.

In this respect, I am not sure whether the carrot or the stick served as an inducement to the MIC to change its mind.

On the other hand, MCA has been firm in not being involved in the KKB polls. But unfortunately, the MIC leadership have caved in to the request of Anwar.

I am not sure whether Zahid had word with MIC president Tan Sri S.A. Wigneswaran on the matter pertaining to KKB polls.

Both MCA and MIC were the targets of political attacks by the DAP in the past. Just because BN is part of the present coalition government, it doesn’t mean that both the parties can forget about the insults hurled against them by both DAP and to a certain extent, PKR.

MIC easily forgets the past

Political expediency cannot be the reason for the sudden change of heart by Anwar or Zahid. Moreover, although both MCA and MIC are members of BN, they gain no respect from UMNO. BN is managed as though its membership consists of only UMNO.

Just like MCA and MIC without political standing in their respective ethnic communities, UMNO has little support from the Malays.

The past hegemonic scenario where UMNO controlled and manipulated these two political parties is no longer there. Given this, why should MCA and MIC continue to act on the directives of UMNO leadership which after all comprises questionable characters.

In other political circumstances of an easy win for PH/DAP candidate, MCA or MIC might not have been consulted. But the situation is serious in the KKB poll given chances are that DAP candidate might be defeated.

This is why the non-Malay support for PH/DAP candidate is very crucial, hence the reason why MCA and MIC are being dragged in.

However, the extent of the electoral pull of both these parties remains doubtful. MCA might have been criticised in the past for its subservience to UMNO. However, whether the party can regain its strength by sticking to principles remains to be seen.

But MIC despite its horrible treatment by DAP in the past seems to have forgotten the past to agree to support the PH/DAP candidate. Maybe Anwar’s request was something that the MIC leadership could not refuse.

 

Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia