COMMENT | If Gan Peng Sieu doesn’t win the presidency on Nov 4, it will spell the end of MCA.

I know many, including myself, who have written off MCA long ago. With only one parliamentary seat left, this MCA election is not about whether MCA could be a credible and effective check-and-balance against the Pakatan Harapan government.

The only point to this MCA election is to see who is most fit to lead MCA into the next general election, to give it a fighting chance, however remote.

The only question now is whether MCA will choose Gan Peng Sieu and undergo a thorough revolution within the party or choose Wee Ka Siong and follow the path of Umno and maintain status quo.

There is no doubt in my mind that Gan is a more superior candidate than Wee. The simple reason is that Gan is unburdened by Najib’s corrupt regime that irreversibly tainted Wee.

The incumbent MCA leadership (where Wee was Number 2) was given daily and weekly chances to speak up about the 1MDB corruption and the despicable abuse of power, but it didn’t. Instead, the leaders spent their time perfecting the art of silence.

On many occasions, they even came to Najib’s defence and attacked the opposition for speaking the truth. Wee Ka Siong (photo) was part of that cabinet that is collectively responsible for the debacle that almost ruined the country.

No party was humiliated as MCA

Compared with the other component parties in the previous BN government, the leadership of MCA was the most timid. This is because, unlike any other voter base, the Chinese had long admonished MCA for being subordinate to Umno. Hence, no other party had suffered greater humiliation from its voter base than MCA.

Even before news of 1MDB made headlines, it was apparent to the top leaders that they ought to do something to correct the wrongs, but they chose to consolidate their positions and wealth. The writing was on the wall but they feigned blindness.

Gan is relatively untainted. He is not part of Najib’s regime; he is not part of any corruption scandal; he is not a party insider. Even though Gan had been a lifelong MCA member, he has always taken positions that made him seem like an independent-minded outsider. Any revolution could only sensibly be carried out by an outsider who commands moral credibility.

And Gan had demonstrated this sincerity by making “exit BN” his primary campaign message. For him, nothing short of a revolution that would rejuvenate the party leadership and re-energise the party members would be adequate. He doesn’t subscribe to Liow Tiong Lai’s odd notion that suggested exiting BN will lower MCA’s status.

On the other hand, Wee is campaigning on continuity. He is not intent on exiting BN as he still relies on the faint hope of re-entering the government. Wee was part of the leadership that believed in “power at all cost”. After suffering a humiliating defeat in the 13th general election, MCA’s leadership, at that time, decided to reject all cabinet positions after absolutely losing the confidence of Chinese voters. This was the only honourable thing to do.

However, the new leadership of Liow Tiong Lai (photo) and Wee Ka Siong decided that power was worth having at all cost, and they rejoined cabinet. They preferred to see the country destruct and have their party’s founding principles flouted in front of their eyes than to lose power. So obsessed and seduced by power were they that it lead them to eventually lose power for the first time in history.

Why is Gan a better candidate

Although I am arguing the case for choosing Gan over Wee, I am sure that the 2,500 voting members will eventually settle for Wee. This is because the ethos of MCA has descended to the point where money and power are its sole preoccupations.

Power: Voting members will congregate around the only man who has a seat in Parliament. They will see the last man standing as the remaining source of hope. Little do they know the remaining seat in Parliament is a liability that represents a shameful past they ought to swiftly dispose of.

Money: MCA remains a wealthy party with an estimated asset worth of RM3 billion. It is an open secret that the coming party election is less about who will direct MCA out of political wilderness than about who gets control of the business empire.

Wee knows this. That is why when he was asked about what he would do with the party assets, Wee simply shrugged. For Gan, however, he recognised the legacy problems in MCA where asset dealings are shrouded in secrecy and conspiracy. The recent Wisma MCA redevelopment issue was such an example. Gan proposed to establish an independent board of trustees where political leadership would have no role so that the process would be transparent and accountable.

I am not suggesting Gan is the perfect man, nor am I denouncing Wee as a villain. Gan’s oratory skills are nowhere near that of Wee’s, and Wee is perhaps the best performing opposition leader in Parliament today.

But there is a grave problem glaring at the party, and the election result could herald a new era of hope - or the end of MCA.

JAMES CHAI works at a law firm. His voyage in life is made less lonely with a family of deep love, friends of good humour and teachers of selfless giving. This affirms his conviction in the common goodness of people: the better angels of our nature. He tweets at @JamesJSChai.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.