MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has haughtily dismissed ideas and criticism levelled at his perceived slow, indolent and disconnected leadership with the national pulse and grassroot sentiments by telling outsiders to stay out.
However, for MCA to secure a more meaningful role and be relevant in future political sphere would depend largely on public optics and perception.
Wee must face the reality that MCA’s political viability and survival depends largely on how the public – especially the fence-sitters and younger voters – perceive the party’s role and relevance to the current political situation and development.
If MCA is seen to be subservient and dependent on UMNO or being defensive on issues and challenges that affect its image and dignity, then outsiders will tend to outcast MCA for good or push the party into further irrelevance.
‘Eat humble pie’
MCA’s present leadership cannot expect or rely on the party’s past achievements or legacies – or the Chinese community’s dissatisfaction with PMX (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) or DAP – to regain its lost popularity.
Instead, the present MCA leaders must stand up and rise to the occasion when slapped or stepped on.
MCA must accept that it is no longer the political “giant” it used to be. The fact is that some political parties in Sabah and Sarawak have even emerged to be stronger and more influential than MCA which used to be the second largest party in the ruling government.
MCA leaders must accept this political reality and be courageous to face the new political landscape and challenges head on.
We cannot be an ostrich hiding our heads in the sand, avoiding the uncomfortably truth that UMNO have shifted its political allegiance to DAP or that DAP is clinging to UMNO to displace and replace MCA for good in the run-up to the 16th General Election (GE16).
The Malaysian public and many MCA members are waiting for party leaders to act, react or posture in the face of the many political “insults and slaps” on MCA’s pride and dignity since DAP “married into UMNO” – and most recently stepped into “UMNO’s Chambers for a ministerial briefing without MCA and MIC”.
Self-deception
MIC President Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran have spoken and postured with whispers that the party will take a giant step away from UMNO very soon. On the other hand, the silence of Wee who is the MCA skipper is deafening.
By choosing not to act, react or respond to political insults – one after another – and even camouflaging this as being politically strategic is Ah Q and purely a self-consolidation.
You can tell outsiders to stay out in an arrogant or haughty manner but you cannot deny the fact that these so-called outsiders are in fact seeing cowardice in MCA’s leadership.
Such perception is not going to do MCA any good or win over the votes of fence sitters. Neither can MCA’s awkward silence recover votes of its own member which have been abandoning the party during the past few general elections.
Today’s voters are becoming more critical and demanding, especially among the younger generation. MCA must directly – and swiftly – address the political issues faced to win back lost votes and to capture more votes to ensure an election victory
UMNO’s disregard and contemptuous acts towards MCA as a component party must be directly and immediately addressed with guts.
Otherwise, the perception that MCA is a stooge and stooped too low vis-a-vis UMNO is going to cost MCA more damage and irrelevance.
Yes, President Wee, MCA will decide its own future but OUTSIDERS will be the judge! – Aug 8, 2025
Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker was a former MCA vice-president and former Youth and Sports deputy minister.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Wee Ka Siong/Facebook
