If MCA is unhappy with BN’s power-sharing mechanism the component party should air its views internally and not publicly, said Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein.

hishammuddin hussein home ministry 140409 talking “I would like to advise him, bring it up at the BN meeting, it’s an avenue if there is something he is unhappy about. If it’s not brought to BN and said outside then it raises questions on his objective and whether it is just a personal opinion,” said Hishammuddin ( left ).

The Sembrong MP was referring to MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s comment during the BN Convention last weekend that as equal partners, other component parties should be given an equal voice in raising concerns.

Umno is often seen to have the upper hand in charting the coalition’s major decisions.

Prime Minister and BN chief Najib Abdul Razak, who is also the Umno president, has often used the Umno platform to announce the government’s policies.

azlan But Chua mentioned that such decisions should not only be announced at the Umno general assembly or at its supreme council meetings, and added that the outdated approach adopted by BN must be removed.

“There should not be any big brother or younger brother within the coalition. We are all working towards the same cause and purpose. We are all equal partners. BN must pursue the middle path of moderation and at the same time, we need to strengthen the public delivery system, which is a sore point by the voters,” Chua had said.

Moreover, Chua also recommended words such as ' pendatang ' (immigrants), ' penumpang ' (passengers), ‘ terhutang budi ’ (feeling of indebtedness), ' kurang patriotik ' (not patriotic) and ' ketuanan Melayu' (Malay sovereignty), to be considered taboo.

“Youngsters do not like to hear such remarks which are not only distasteful but considered outrageously derogatory. Leaders must also be reminded that they are expected to not only say the right thing but also in do the right thing,” he had said.

‘Not all agree with Chua’

At a press conference at the Parliament lobby, Hishammuddin also defended the discontent expressed by several Umno members over Chua’s statement.

Asked about Mohd Puad Zarkashi’s (BN-Batu Pahat) recent opinion piece published in Utusan Malaysia disagreeing with Chua, Hisshammuddin said: “I heard a lot of people, including MCA leaders, are not happy about what was said by Chua in the context of the convention but if I answer this question (the issue) will continue.”

Dr Puad Zarkashi He added that out of all the issues raised by the component party leader only the “most sensational” items were picked out.

Mohd Puad ( right ), who is the Deputy Education Minister and Umno supreme council member, argued that there was no ‘big brother’ factor or bullying that exists within the coalition and lashed out at Chua for not raising issues regarding graver problems.

“Soi Lek should have instead looked into the trend exposed by the EC (Election Commission) chairperson in which DAP is more said to be more aggressive than MCA. Is it due to Umno being the ‘big brother’?” he asked.

Mohd Puad also rebuked Chua over his interpretation of ketuanan Melayu or Malay sovereignty, saying that the concept has never hindered non-Malays from progressing.

“If Umno behaves like a ‘big brother’ and Malay supremacy is wrong, how can the Chinese be more dominant than the Malays in business?”

Hishammuddin, however, evaded commenting on the issue and simply said: “There may be disappointment among some leaders but it does not mean that BN is in total agreement with Soi Lek or that BN agrees with the deputy minister”.

The only concern of the public is our commitment in moving forward, said Hishammuddin, adding that public opinion will neither be shaped by “certain personalities” nor will their statements dictate the transformation of politics in future.