Barisan no longer a political brand name, says Chua
KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional has to accept the fact that the coalition is no longer a political brand name, says former MCA president Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Speaking at the launch of his book, Dr Chua, 72, said while Umno might still be the largest political party after the 14th General Election, the court cases of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife, as well as Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi were weighing down Barisan.
Barisan lost its grip on the federal government in the polls for the first time since independence in 1957, with Umno and MCA winning 54 and one seats respectively.
The coalition is now down to five parties – Ummo, MCA, MIC, myPPP and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah.
On Barisan’s defeat, Dr Chua said the coalition was riddled with scandals, abuse of power and arrogance.
This, he added, was compounded by the high costs of living plaguing the people.
“The people just wanted to change the government during GE14,” he told reporters after launching his book Like Me or Hate Me: Rising from the Political Ashes here yesterday.
The Pakatan Harapan govern- ment, he said, continued to act like the Opposition and as if the country was without a government.
“This is not right or good for the people. Governing the country is a huge task and responsibility,” he said, claiming that some of the over 30 Cabinet ministers had yet to make any public statement after almost six months into their appointment.
He also ticked off DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who accused him of likening the Umno-MCA relationship to that of a father and son.
A portal had quoted Dr Chua as asking: “When dad gives you money, do you ask if he stole it?” when commenting on the election funds MCA had received from Najib for GE13.
Lim, he added, was an expert in twisting facts to confuse the people.
He said in fact, he had emphasised all the while, including at the Barisan convention in 2011 (when he was MCA president), that the coalition’s component parties were partners and practised power sharing.
Earlier, there was laughter when Dr Chua said writing his book was one of his ways of staying healthy and mentally active.
“I wanted to keep myself occupied and stimulate my brain cells to keep my brain active, at least until the age of 93,” he said.
Available in English and Chinese, the 632-page book highlights his childhood, rise and fall in MCA and his life in politics, including his resignation in 2013 after MCA’s poor electoral performance.
Dr Chua said many people had told him to focus on the “more interesting and juicy” part, which was when he resigned from all government and party posts over his 2008 sex tape scandal.
“The incident will remain with me for the rest of my life. I regard it as a personal crisis – either a political or family crisis – and it is only part of my long journey in life and in politics,” he said.
Dedicating his memoir to his wife Puan Sri Wong Sek Hin, Dr Chua described her as someone who had always stayed with him through thick and thin.
In the scandal, Dr Chua was filmed engaging in sexual acts with a “personal friend” and the footage was circulated anonymously through DVD.