Leaders laud MCA’s affiliate membership move
KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional leaders have lauded the call by MCA Youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon to offer affiliate MCA memberships to the non-Chinese, saying it is time to open up the ownership of monoethnic parties to others.
“This is a step towards a more multiracial approach in politics. It is a timely move. Many non-Chinese are supportive of MCA’s political role as a moderator among right-wing extremists.
“They would like to participate and support us. Opening up our doors is a step to enlarging our support base,” MCA Religious Harmony Bureau chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker told the New Straits Times yesterday.
He said the move would also empower MCA as a party that protected secularism and moderation, and upheld the Federal Constitution.
Gerakan vice-president Professor Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai also welcomed the proposal, saying multiracial politics was the way forward for the country.
“This is the right move as we live in a multiracial community. We in Gerakan always say that we should be united in diversity. We need more multiracial parties to address the needs of the people. We should focus on not just one race, but all Malaysians. Gerakan is willing to help MCA if it requires our help in its goal to become multiracial.
“I’m glad to see that MCA frontliners like Chong have the vision to amend their constitution.”
To widen its appeal among Malaysians, MCA Youth announced plans to amend its constitution to pave the way for the entry of nonChinese affiliate members.
Chong, who is leading the initiative, said his wing was drafting a proposal to amend the party’s rules to open MCA’s doors to Malaysians of all ethnicities.
“MCA Youth is exploring this idea to get more support from other races. We plan to submit the proposal to the MCA central committee soon for approval,” he said on the sidelines of Selangor MCA Youth’s 47th annual general meeting at the party’s headquarters here yesterday.
He said the MCA constitution provided for the creation of affiliate organisations like Kelab MCA, but did not have a provision for affiliate memberships.
“We are figuring out how to use the platform of affiliate organisations to get the support of not just the Chinese, but all Malaysians. Our struggle focuses on all races and not just the Chinese. So, we have to translate that spirit into how we run the party in the future.”
Chong, who is also deputy education minister, said the initiative would serve as a “transition period” or starting point for the Chinesebased MCA to turn multiracial.
“Through this transition period, we want to make sure the party leadership can look at issues from a multiracial perspective so that we can achieve national unity and establish respect for one another,” he said.