Don’t view Gerakan, MCA as zero-sum game — Mah
KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan and MCA are not zero-sum game but instead, their synergy will be a win-win situation which benefits all Malaysians, especially the Chinese community, says Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong.
Speaking at the first ever MCA-Gerakan joint rally here yesterday, he said Gerakan and MCA were also brothers-in-arms in facing the coming 14th General Election (GE14).
“The adoption of a zero-sum game mentality serves to benefit no one but the opposition that is relying on our dissent to gain an advantage.
“After today’s rally, we will consider a vote for MCA as a vote for Gerakan and vice-versa which will bring untold benefits to all Malaysians,” he said at the first ever MCA-Gerakan rally held at Wisma MCA yesterday.
As such, he also assured that Gerakan would give its full support to MCA candidates in the GE14 while any party member found sabotaging MCA candidates would also be dealt with the strictest disciplinary action.
Themed ‘Stronger Together’, the historic assembly which was attended by some 2,500 people including top party leaders and grassroots members from both parties, was aimed at demonstrating the parties’ unity and working relationship in GE14.
Mah said the joint rally also signified the parties’ invigorated spirits and combined resolve, as well as a testimonial that relationship between Gerakan and MCA had never been better and it had reached a new and commendable high.
“The time has come for us to unite so we can unite the Chinese community. It is time for us to put our differences aside and ready ourselves for the battle that is the coming general election, for it will define the future and direction of the country,” he added.
Meanwhile, speaking on the same platform, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he was optimistic that this partnership between MCA and Gerakan to face GE14 would result in more future collaborations to uplift the livelihood of all Malaysians.
“The MCA-Gerakan Stronger Together Assembly today is to declare that MCA and Gerakan can come together solidly in the name of national development.
“We must consolidate all forces possible. As the Chinese community and we share a common destiny, unity will make us stronger, and this strength will enable us to fight for more advantageous developments for all races and our nation,” he said.
Despite forming a cooperation with Gerakan to face the GE14, Liow stressed however, that MCA and Gerakan would not merge but work closely together as a team.
“We shall deepen crossgovernment departmental communications, improve coordination among component parties and make good use of government mechanism to serve the people,” he explained.
For instance, he said for the next three years, MCA and Gerakan would jointly see through the construction of 10, all new Chinese vernacular primary schools and the relocation of another six, to ensure that Chinese education continued to flourish.
On another note, Liow revealed that MCA and Gerakan were also currently formulating strategies to enhance Chinese participation in the mainstream of the national vision for development.
High spirited and with soaring optimism, MCA and Gerakan party members also ended the assembly with pledges to demonstrate their will and seriousness in working together.
Led by Liow and Mah, they pledged to abandon vengeance and work hand-in-hand to overcome challenges in the GE14 and perform their best to uphold the nation’s diversity and moderation.
Members from both the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties also pledged to overcome issues together as comrades, defend the rights and interests of the people under the BN framework, and walk the same pace, enhance the welfare of all from within the government administration as well as provide mutual support in managing the constituency during the election campaign to promote the people’s livelihood. - Bernama