MCA moves to seek posts in BN-led states

MCA is to meet with the mentri besar or chief minister of the 10 BN-led states to discuss the party's representation in government.

Deputy president Liow Tiong Lai said today that there is a need to follow up on the resolution adopted at the party’s extraordinary general meeting.

The party’s central committee will meet soon to discuss arrangements for members to hold government posts, he told a press conference in Sungai Limau, Kedah,

"MCA should return to the right track with more strength. And we need to accept government positions now," Liow said.

He said it is necessary for the BN-led states to have MCA leaders as representatives of the Chinese Malaysian community.

"The community has higher expectations of the MCA, and we must be prudent in selecting candidates," he said.

On Pahang Mentri Besar Adnan Yaakob assertion that there is no vacancy in the exco for MCA representatives, Liow - who is Pahang MCA chairperson - said he would talk this over with him.

On Oct 20, central delegates had voted in favour of allowing party members to accept posts as senators and village heads, as well as in state governments and government-linked companies.

However, they rejected two other resolutions to overturn a decision to bar members from accepting cabinet posts, as well as to censure Liow.

Set up ‘candidates bureau’, urges group

In another separate press conference, the party’s New Movement grouping urged MCA to set up a ‘candidate bureau’ to handle the appointments for the government posts, and ensure that the candidates have the support of the public.

“A candidates bureau must be set up by the party to handle matters related to the candidate selection process,” said Joe Liaw, a member of New Movement.

“The village heads and councillors candidates should gather support and obtain at least 300 signatures, before they can be appointed to the posts,” he said.

He said MCA’s appointments were done in a closed-door manner, in which the party president has the final say, and this lacks transparency.

He also noted the party lacks standardised criteria in the appointments for various government positions, from ministers down to villages heads.

“There are no standard criteria of appointment in the  representatives and ministers positions... most of the them secure their positions due to statements and relationship.

“The appointment system in the party has made those in the positions answerable to the party but not the rakyat, which had created a lot of dissatisfaction among the raktyat,” he said.

“The representatives who serve in the frontlines are important as they determine if the party can make a comeback in four years’ time,” he said.

Liaw (left) was also worried that the two resolutions passed in the EGM last Sunday may becomes a tool for those in power to “buy” supports in the coming party polls.

“The recent developments and EGM have distract the party from transformation. They have had a massive impact on the movement, now the party hardly talks about change and ideal, but talks only about party factions,” he noted.

Despite all its efforts and suggestions made to transform the party, he said, New Movement had rarely received attention from the party central leadership.

“When the two giant elephants were fighting, they stamped on the transformation ideology of little ants (New Movement),” he said, adding that this caused the movement to quiet down for a while.

“We want the appointed officials to turn complaints from the people into action that leads to changes in government policies. We would like them to serve the people based on the concept of civic rights as the main political principle,” he said.

‘C’ in ‘MCA’ should be changed to ‘civic’

“With today's political and social landscape, the ‘C’ in MCA should be changed to ‘civic’,” he said, adding that MCA needs to change its approach from being a communal-based party and apply ‘civic’ political principals.

MCA needs to step out from its comfort zone of being a Chinese-based ruling party, and stop avoiding the social movements which represent the rakyat, he said.

He said the party should take part and respond to the demands by various social movements and NGOs such as Bersih, the anti-Lynas movement, heritage preservation organisations and even take part.

“Right after the general election in 2008, MCA became the opposition in four states, but it never learnt to be one. When the party shunned government posts, I had said we should act like an opposition in the ruling coalition,” he said.

“We should struggle for political discourse. There are ways for us to do so, which includes go to the streets, organise forums and act as a pressure group,” he said.

He encouraged the party to hold street marches when it is deemed necessary.