A reboot for better service
Amidst the economic woes of the people, MCA has upped the ante in its push to highlight problems faced by Malaysians.
ONCE a rising star in tourism, Yong Peng is rather quiet these days.
Known for good food like fish ball noodles, Yong Peng is a food haven for tourists, especially Singaporeans.
Other attractions include its longest and largest man-made dragon in the world at 106.9m, which is called the prosperity dragon.
But tourist arrivals have dipped almost 30% for the last one year.
These days, the slowdown in business or sluggish economy is the daily topic among people.
Yong Peng (which means forever peaceful in Mandarin) has not been able to avoid the “economic tsunami” that swept the country shortly after the general election a year ago.
Under the Ayer Hitam parliamentary constituency, Yong Peng is a predominantly agricultural community that also serves as a barometer of the country’s economy.
The falling oil palm prices have hit the people hard as some 80% of the Ayer Hitam population are oil palm smallholders.
Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has been fighting in and outside of Parliament for the smallholders since commodity prices started falling about eight months ago.
His battle was not just for his constituents, but the 650,000 smallholders in the country.
“Millions of people are affected by oil palm prices alone, not just the smallholders. Their (smallholders) family members are affected. Related businesses like shops selling fertilisers and weedkillers are affected.
“The people have little money to spend and they are suffering,” he said.
His constituents who are oil palm smallholders are pleading for his help, he said.
The people, he said, were staying at home to cut cost, adding that this was unprecedented in his 15 years as their MP.
“It is very sad to see people struggling to feed their families. The once crowded coffeeshops, where you could not find a seat, is a thing of the past,” he said.
Based on feedback given to him, he said there had been a 40% to 50% drop in business for these owners of coffeeshops and warong over the past year.
This was possibly reflected in a Merdeka Centre survey, which found that public satisfaction in the government’s management of the economy fell to 40% in March, compared to 60% in August last year.
“Many people are pushing us (MCA) to raise issues these days, particularly those related to the economy and controversial projects by the government,” Dr Wee said.
The government’s cancellation or postponement of mega projects had an adverse impact on the economy, he said.
“This has affected some 350 construction related industries,” Dr Wee said of the ripple effects on businesses and employment.
As the only MP from MCA and party president, Dr Wee said the party was taking its new role as opposition in its stride.
“Since day one after GE14, we have embraced our new role as opposition. This role holds as much importance as when we were in the government, if not more,” he said in an interview on how the 70-yearold MCA is coping in the new political landscape.
Dr Wee said the party was now taking on an issue-based approach, fighting for common values in a moderate and harmonious society, and providing the checks and balances on the Pakatan Harapan government.
The MCA, he said, was coming up with monitoring groups on all ministries to intensify these checks and balances, especially since Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had graded his ministers with five out of 10 marks although they were new but learning fast.
Politically, Dr Wee said MCA continued to face challenges in countering false allegations by the Pakatan government, especially those related to the previous administration.
“Pakatan is manipulating certain issues to cover up their own shortcomings, like making up about a RM1 trillion debt left by the previous government, as an excuse for not fulfilling its GE14 pledges to help the people,” he said.
Instead of accepting responsibility and addressing the root cause of their failure to lead, Dr Wee said Pakatan, especially the DAP, was busy finding excuses and harping on rhetoric.
MCA deputy president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon claimed that some people, regardless of race and political affiliation, were fed up with Pakatan especially the DAP.
He said he had been approached by many disillusioned DAP sympathisers and even members and former division chiefs over the past one year who spoke of how they found the party’s wrongdoings unacceptable.
“What is happening on the ground reflects the findings by the Merdeka Centre poll,” he said.
The DAP, he said, had proven itself to be not walking the talk.
“They never failed to make noise on any issue prior to joining the government. Their silence these days is deafening,” said Dr Mah, citing how DAP had previously championed any issue under the sun, particularly on meritocracy and a just society.
MCA Youth chief Nicole Wong said the slowing economy was a top complaint on the ground for the last one year and she saw no signs of a reprieve in the coming year
“In fact, I foresee that the economy will only worsen due to the uncertainty in Pakatan’s internal politics. And in the next 12 months is supposed to be the time for Tun Dr Mahathir to hand over the country’s top post to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” she said.
In her capacity as a Youth leader and a Malaysian, the 39-year-old Wong said having to face constant disappointments from Pakatan was hard to accept.
She was of the view that public sentiment was similar as well.
“When we take a closer look at Pakatan’s GE14 manifesto and also the 10 promises for the first 100 days, none of them is fully executed.
“Ironically, the government appears never short of ideas and actions that can undermine the economy and antagonise the people,” she added.
However, she believed that this would strengthen the party’s resolve to gather public suggestions or solutions and forward them to the government for consideration.
Referring to feedback she got from the past one year, Wanita MCA chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie said: “The people are not happy. They feel neglected by Pakatan.”
Apart from almost all GE14 promises unfulfilled, she said what was even more worrying was that the government had been unable to convince the people of its ability to lead the country to a better future.
“It can only keep blaming the previous government. The people do not buy the excuse anymore,” she said, adding that all the excuses, instead of accepting their weaknesses and improve themselves, could only worsen the situation in the country.
“It is unfortunate that the people who put Pakatan in power are made to suffer unnecessarily,” she said.
She also noted the “political revenge” on MCA by DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng.
Lim, who is Finance Minister, had taken away the RM30mil annual matching grant for Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) this year.
TAR UC, set up by MCA as Tunku Abdul Rahman College in 1969 and upgraded to university college in 2013, had been receiving annual matching grants from the government for the last 50 years for it to keep its fees affordable for the lower income groups.
Ironically, the DAP continued to “masquerade” as a party who championed for them, she said.
With a year of uncertainty in the country and MCA as a year-old opposition, Dr Wee said the party and its leaders were adjusting well and easing into their new role.
“Call it a reboot. Take it as an opportunity to refresh ourselves to better serve the people,” he said.