Break away from BN, ex-MCA chief tells component parties
KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional component parties should break away from the coalition, urged former MCA president Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said the parties must confront their problems following their 14th General Election defeat as BN as a coalition was no longer a brand.
“BN is no longer a political brand. We (MCA) have to face the reality that we have to move out of BN and build our own party and talk about it later.
“Umno must be aware of this. It is a party in trouble, MCA is in trouble.
“In fact, all the parties are in trouble,” Dr Chua said at the launch of his autobiography, Like Me or Hate Me: Rising from the Political Ashes, here yesterday.
He said court cases implicating Umno leaders, including former BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and his former deputy, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, did not alleviate the situation.
“We have to accept that it is not going to instil the people’s confidence in BN.
“Umno must encourage the others (parties) to leave BN so that they can transform and strengthen themselves.”
He, however, said the parties could regroup later because the “coalition is not one that is fixed in stone or cast in the Bible”.
He said MCA should move on its own and become more multiracial.
“MCA has to talk about bigger issues that affect the nation and all races like good governance, transparency, freedom of the press and security.
“The problem with MCA is every day it talks about Chinese schools,” he said, adding that it was up to the party to see if it wanted to open its membership to non-Chinese.
He said a survey conducted during his time showed that youngsters wanted more nonrace-based parties and, at the same time, for mono-ethnic parties to remain as they believed both had vital roles to play.
On MCA’s defeat in the polls, he said the Chinese just wanted to change the government.
“DAP was lucky because they became a political dustbin to collect votes of the Chinese and those who can’t stand BN.
“But after a honeymoon period of one or two years, people will become critical of Pakatan Harapan and how it does not measure up to BN.”
On the timing of the launch of his memoir, which coincides with MCA polls next month, Dr Chua said he had no ulterior motives.
He said MCA needed bold leaders who addressed issues, instead of living in denial.