Uncalled for action

Aussie farright senator Pauline Hanson pulls burqa stunt in parliament in bid to ban them.

We strongly believe that the idea of a pluralistic society can only be achieved if we instil similar values in our country’s p political ideology.

LAST Friday, I had the honour of attending the much-anticipated launch of the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia, a month-long event dedicated to showcasing the achievements and talents of the country’s emerging artists.

Organised by the Malaysian Chinese Culture and Arts Consultative Council in collaboration with MCA, the event is staged by different ethnic groups, and showcases how multiculturalism is not just an idealistic ambition, but simply a way of life in our country.

It is based on this spirit that MCA’s internal transformation programme – “Stronger Together”– was launched in 2014. Our objective was to enhance party unity from within, expand it to the Chinese community and eventually encompass national unity. To do so, a slew of cultural, educational, social and economic activities was implemented to raise the country’s overall socio-economic status.

I would like to take this opportunity to share some of the successes of this programme, as well as how the Chinese community can participate in and benefit from it.

MCA School of Political Studies

To do a job well, we must first sharpen our tools: I believe that this Chinese proverb rings true as all MCA members must first equip themselves with critical thinking and necessary skills in order to grow.

This was the first order of the day when I was elected MCA president in late 2013. We reactivated the MCA School of Political Studies, that was set up in 2006, to nurture talent and strengthen members’ understanding of various political ideologies.

This move was an extension of our emphasis on education, evident when we set up the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1969 and 2002 respectively.

With topics including law, economics, politics, sociology and psychology, the MCA School of Political Studies has trained more than 36,000 members in the past three years, surpassing our target of 10,000 people a year.

More importantly, it has boosted the party’s overall morale, with members displaying a higher sense of discipline and unity.

The school is now formally included in the party’s constitution, becoming a permanent entity of MCA. Additionally, a 1.98ha plot of land in Klang has been acquired and earmarked for the development of the school. I am confident that this school will become a varsity on political studies in the future.

Expanding our network

To help MCA further advance its transformation agenda, we have collaborated and enjoyed good relations with various governments around the world, such as Indonesia, Taiwan and Singapore, to strengthen the party’s overall footing in Malaysia.

One of the notable collaborations is our recent cooperation with the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the fields of education and culture.

Based on the cooperation, CPC will provide scholarships to Malaysian students seeking tertiary education in China and raise the overall scholarship quota for Malaysian students.

Apart from the obvious knowledge transfer to our students, the move will encourage cultural sharing and understanding between our two countries, something that is of great importance in an increasingly interdependent world.

CPC will also support MCA’s plan to urbanise new villages by sharing their best practices through the deployment of their urban and rural development experts.

There is a tremendous amount that we can learn from them, especially in view of the fact that China has been recognised by the World Bank for its work in reducing poverty drastically and modernising its villages for the past 20 to 30 years.

Maintaining stability

Malaysia’s nationhood was established through respect for each other’s differences and beliefs. For the past 60 years, such ideals have been upheld and maintained.

As part of Barisan Nasional, MCA’s work focuses not only on ensuring the future of the party and the Chinese community in Malaysia, but also on upholding the federal constitution to ensure fair and balanced power sharing among various races.

We strongly believe that the idea of a pluralistic society can only be achieved if we instil similar values in our country’s political ideology.

We have to remain resolute and diligent in working together to ensure continued progress, stability and prosperity in the country.