analysis Will election history repeat itself for the MCA in the 12th national polls on March 8? This may not exactly be a burning question but it is a natural one for active voters who remember keen battles of the past.

In the 1986 general election, the great loser was the MCA. The opposition DAP won 24 parliamentary and 37 state seats, mainly on Chinese votes.

Most of the seats lost by the Barisan Nasional (BN) were contested by the MCA. The party lost 50 percent of contested seats, winning only 17 of the 32 parliamentary seats and 43 of the 69 state seats.