MCA today warned Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's (Bersatu) Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman not to be so “haughty or arrogant”, after the young debate champion called the party out for its race-based politics yesterday.

Syed Saddiq, who is a Bersatu pro-tem committee member, had asked MCA and MIC yesterday if he, as a Malay, could join either of the two BN component parties.

He had been responding to their accusation that Bersatu, which had its registration papers submitted to the Registrar of societies (ROS) on Tuesday, is racist.

Continuing the war of words today, MCA central committee member Ti Lian Ker ticked off Syed Saddiq for being an “upstart” and a “rookie”.

"Being a young promising man with the gift of the gab, I would like to advise young upstarts that they should not learn to speak with a fork tongue or be insulting in their words or deeds.

"Rookies like Syed Saddiq should not be so full of themselves and dismissive of others," said Ti in a statement.

Ti reminded Syed Saddiq that MCA and MIC had existed since Independence and had gone through thick and thin over the decades.

"I would like to advise young man like Syed Saddiq not to be haughty or arrogant. After the general election, we will see whether MCA, MIC or Bersatu will be defunct," said Ti.

He said that just like other breakaway parties, Bersatu, which was formed primarily to steal votes from Umno in the coming general election, would not last long.

'BN formed in different era'

As to allusions over the BN parties' racial nature, Ti said MCA, MIC and Umno were formed to bridge the gap between Malaysia's plural society, at a time when they lived under the divide-and-rule practices of the colonialists.

But the parties recognised the need to have a non-communal platform and the Alliance, which later evolved into the BN, was formed as a multi-racial coalition to unite all communities, he added.

MCA is now trying to reform and adjust to being progressive, he said.

In contrast, Bersatu, with its dual membership, was founded at a time when Malaysians want new ideas, new politics and inclusiveness, and a more level playing field under a multi-racial platform, said Ti.

"Bersatu has failed in the test of inclusiveness when they decided to 'discriminate' Malaysians by excluding a section of the society.

"Basically, Bersatu founders are spitting into the face of these people who are educated, objective and want a new politics based on merits and objectivity," he said.

Bersatu was rained with brickbats for only admitting bumiputera, while non-bumiputera can only join as associated members and be appointed to posts.

Syed Saddiq had defended Bumiputera's configuration, stating that it was not purely race-based and was a “compromise model” that would allow it to contest in impenetrable Umno areas.