‘MCA now stronger with reinvention and changes’

SEREMBAN: MCA has emerged stronger since the last two general elections with progressive reinvention and changes, the party chief says.

Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said party members must therefore ride on this opportunity and reach out proactively to the Chinese community.

“Party leaders must be able to connect with the Chinese community and unite the Chinese in order for the community to continue having a voice in the Government,” Liow said.

He was speaking at the Negri Sembilan MCA convention here yesterday, which was also attended by MCA’s central leaders and Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. In his speech, Liow emphasised the need for MCA to improve on its general election results.

Negri Sembilan MCA has been allocated two parliamentary seats and 10 state seats to contest in the next general election, with the state committee aiming to win at least four state seats, namely Chennah, Repah, Nilai and Chuah.

Liow also said that Malaysia was being divided along ethnic and religious lines, and it was imperative that the country returned to the moderate path.

Mohamad, meanwhile, said political parties have to discard the old mentality that citizens need the party when the reverse rings true in real life.

“We need to come to terms that people are now better educated. They have their own businesses and jobs, and this isn’t like the old days after independence when they had to depend on Umno or MCA.

“They also have several choices now, and therefore we have to show them we are the better choice because we can get things done,” he said.

Mohamad likened election preparation to horse-racing.

“The party machinery is the horse and the candidate is the jockey. The horse is good, so you cannot have an overweight jockey or a jockey who cannot ride,” he said.

Earlier in MELAKA, state MCA chairman Datuk Lim Ban Hong said at the MCA convention that the Opposition’s promise of a Malay tsunami was unfounded.

“They held charity dinners with lots of empty tables, and the recent anti-kleptocracy turnout was not inspiring either,” said Lim.

Liow, who also officiated at the event, said the opportunistic Opposition was using emotion to gain votes.

Strength in unity: Liow presenting a souvenir to Mohamad while other party leaders look on after the mentri besar officiated the Negri Sembilan MCA annual general meeting in Seremban.