MCA president Liow Tiong Lai said BN component parties should not be blamed for Chinese voting trends.

All members of component parties contest as BN candidates during the elections and all outcomes are the result of collective effort, he said.

"In an election, MCA fights for the rights of the Chinese and defends multiculturalism. We contest under the BN banner and we don't use the MCA logo or logos of other parties.

"Regardless of which component party loses a seat, it is a loss for BN and is not the (sole) problem of (the component party). This is a BN problem.

"We cannot see the thing separately, you can't say this is an MCA, Gerakan or MIC problem. This is a BN problem... BN must be introspective and not blame and provoke one another," Liow said when met on the sidelines of the Umno general assembly today.

He said this when asked to respond to Umno Youth vice-chief Khairul Azwan Harun's speech at the Umno Youth assembly yesterday.

Khairul Azwan said the continued support for DAP by the Chinese community may alienate them from other ethnic groups and from the government.

He also urged BN component parties to share responsibility, work and risks faced by the government, especially in the next general election.

The coalition partners, Khairul Anwar said, should not be lazy and rely solely on Umno's machinery and claim cabinet positions after winning.

PPP is hardworking

Meanwhile, PPP president M Kayveas said it is not true that his party did not work hard, but admitted that Umno's machinery was BN's backbone.

"We need the Umno machinery, that I must tell you. Without Umno's machinery, we don't have resources. We can't win," he said.

Kayveas also said that PPP did not demand cabinet positions as it was the prerogative of the prime minister.

On Khairul Azwan's comments on the Chinese community, Kayveas said Umno was being pushed to a corner due to DAP, electoral reforms pressure group Bersih and Malaysiakini.

"Whether you like it or not, DAP has misled the Chinese. The PM wants to give 1Malaysia a chance. (But it was) rejected by DAP, Bersih and Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“What will happen now? You push Umno to be extreme. You make Umno take a firmer stance. Whose fault is that? It is the fault of DAP, Malaysiakini and Bersih," Kayveas added.