Warming up for the Battle of the Ants

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:07

By Stanley Koh

COMMENT Detractors of the Malaysian Chinese Association are fond of giving amusing and impolite interpretations of what the abbreviation MCA stands for. But those who still have faith in the party—especially in president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s ability to lead it—prefer to call it a Maddening Colony of Ants.

They feel that such a description gives the party a macho image that contrasts with the popular perception that it is a BN wimp or Umno’s errand boy.

Last weekend, Chua almost managed to give the party a sorely needed oomph with some words of defiance, both at the Malaysian Chinese Economic Congress and a briefing for the party’s divisional leaders.

At the congress, he called on the government to relax the 30 percent bumiputera equity requirement. At the briefing, he said MCA was “preparing for war” to win back Chinese voters.

Not even a week has passed, and already all those drumbeats are beginning to sound discordant. And accusations that this is all part of a BN sandiwara are gaining more credibility with each day.

To MCA members, many questions about the future of their 60-year-old organisation remain unanswered.

Chua’s belated outspokenness evokes the grim memory of 1986, when then president Tan Koon Swan paid the price of speaking openly on issues of vital concern to the Chinese community.

Tan had earlier defied Umno’s wishes by contesting against acting president Neo Yee Pan for the MCA leadership. As if that did not ruffle enough feathers, he continued to speak up with no holds barred. Eventually, he was imprisoned.

In the last few days, Chua has been receiving stern reminders from the Umno leadership that he should not share the opposition’s platform and undermine the BN coalition when fighting for his community’s rights.

In short, he should toe the mark and be subservient to Umno.

A wise more?

Is it wise for Chua to continue with his gamble? Can he eventually emerge as hero despite his tainted past? Is it worth it, knowing that Umno is always capable of finding a way to punish him? Is he so naive to think that his sex DVD cannot now be used against him just because he confessed? Balls caught in UMNO's snare .

To many, Chua’s display of defiance against Umno’s race card was a desperate move to regain confidence from the Chinese community.

But the message from Umno and its proxies is clear: MCA must stay in its place, where it must continue to play the subservient role of delivering Chinese votes and avoid touching on the privileges and rights of the Malays.

The public crossing of swords has not helped Chua or Umno leaders gain any additional respect, although MCA has gained some sympathy for having to work like a horse without the right to ask for fodder.

Chua was explicitly told that the removal of the bumiputera quota was the sole prerogative of the government, i.e. Umno.

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Is it performing the role of a political concubine to ensure that the castle and corridors of powers in Putrajaya remain firmly with Umno?

The message to Chua and the public is clear: only Umno can call the shots. MCA, as the second most senior partner in the ruling coalition, is not even fit to play second fiddle when it comes to major decisions affecting the race equation.

MCA, like an ant colony, traditionally thrives best in rural and semi urban areas. But in recent decades, even these areas are no longer safe. In short, the next general election may well be a do-or-die affair.

Hence, the Aug 15 briefing was a deliberate attempt to stir the ants’ nest. MCA has to be in a state of preparedness for war. But this requires more than seeking public sympathy by making constant references to the party’s past sacrifices.

Battle plan

It requires action on many fronts. Efforts to maximise voter registration even among its own members, 15 percent of whom have not registered to vote, can be an arduous task, particularly because there are still areas where rivalry among grassroots leaders is intense.

Changing the old mindsets of veteran leaders so that they can competently engage in cyber warfare is also a great challenge. So is equipping electoral operation centres with the latest communication gadgets. And waging a propaganda war against the Pakatan Rakyat coalition requires trained spinners and cyber troopers.

Nevertheless, MCA has promised to spring a surprise on the opposition.

But perhaps the most pressing question of all is: do intelligent Malaysian voters really care?

The question is best answered with another question: Who is MCA fighting for?

MCA is claiming to fight for all races despite being a communal party.

But why does MCA need to fight for these rights if the BN regime—of which it is a part—is fair to all communities?

Is MCA in fact fighting for the survival of Umno by delivering the Chinese votes for BN? Is it performing the role of a political concubine to ensure that the castle and corridors of powers in Putrajaya remain firmly with Umno?