YOURSAY | ‘The Chinese gain nothing by being in BN gov’t, they cannot lose more by being outside.’

Liow echoes Najib, warns Chinese of ramifications

Quigonbond: Is MCA and Umno saying that with Chinese representation in cabinet, the federal government will treat people more inclusively? That hasn't happened before and there is no expectation that it will happen.

Chinese parties in BN still continue to have to beg for schools, university allocations, and crumbs of business contracts, notwithstanding the strong Chinese support.

The Chinese are not voting for DAP because they are Chinese. They are voting DAP because of its stand on issues of good governance.

Now, Umno is half-minded to support hudud agenda. Is Umno saying that it will stay away from hudud if it gets Chinese support? It's no different than saying that if BN does not get any support from anyone, they'll turn the nation into a dictatorship.

Should anyone vote with a gun pointed to their heads? I think not.

There is a chance Pakatan Harapan will form federal government, in which case who cares if the Chinese do not support MCA?

Vijay47: Apart from obvious threats and intimidation, an art he must have acquired from his masters, MCA chief Liow Tiong Lai asks the Chinese community whether they want representation in the cabinet. The crucial question is the one he should ask of himself – what does being part of the government mean?

The real painful humiliating truth is that MCA, with MIC, lend credence to a government where only the demands and dictates of Umno matter; the Chinese gain nothing by being in government, they cannot lose more by being outside.

MCA and MIC carry no influence whatsoever, they can merely bend and bow to decisions made by Umno. To take just one simple example of MCA’s impotency – the Chinese schools’ United Education Certificate accepted the world over as an affirmation of high standard is still after all these years not recognised by the Malaysian government.

Umno’s discrimination along racial and religious lines has now been refined; that clear distinction between party and government has been demolished where the administration is now blatantly employed as an extension of Umno and public funds are used as gratification to voters.

BN is the justification for Umno to claim that government decisions are the result of consensus. MCA and MIC will nod and bow in agreement.

Ultimately: Liow's statements of late are baffling. He is implying without MCA to check Umno, they will marginalize the Chinese? What about 1Malaysia, is he finally admitting it is fake?

So here we have it, folks, an MCA chief admitting at last what we the people have always known, that they are part of a racist regime.

But instead of voting for a racist regime with MCA to help "check" it, why not just vote a non-racist coalition instead? Use your brains, MCA, use your brains…

David Dass: At one time, MCA and MIC were equal partners to Umno in the business of nation-building. Chinese ministers and even Indian ministers had authority and handled important portfolios.

Tan Siew Sin was finance minister and Lim Swee Aun was trade and commerce minister and VT Sambanthan was post, works and telecoms minister. Later, some of the portfolios were split and the cabinet was expanded. And things changed.

The reasons for that are many and have been much discussed in these columns. Today, no Chinese minister is elected by a Chinese-majority constituency. And there is no Indian-majority constituency.

And Umno says to the MCA and Gerakan - we cannot include you into the cabinet because you cannot deliver the Chinese vote.

And the MCA, through Liow, plead with the Chinese community - if you do not support us, we cannot represent you in government. And the Chinese say, you have not represented us in the government.

Look at the delineation exercise - how does that work for the benefit of the Chinese? Look at the Anti-Fake News Law - how does that work for the Chinese?

The Chinese also say, we are 26 percent of the population. We work hard and pay taxes. We are equal citizens under the law. The government cannot say to us that if you do not vote for us, we will not bother about you. That would be wrong. That would be unconstitutional.

The Chinese say, it is time that we run this country democratically. And that means respect our freedoms. And treat everyone fairly and justly.

The Chinese also say, we respect our rulers, we respect Islam, we respect Article 153. But we ask that you respect us as well. And treat us as equal citizens.

And the Chinese finally say, do not issue us ultimatums - either directly or through MCA ministers. That threat would deny us our democratic right to free and fair elections. We are Chinese, you see. We have our history and our traditions.

Ian2003: I would rather vote Umno than MCA to represent me. At least Umno can keep its word, but MCA can only do so if Umno say yes.

So, why do we need a middle man when we can have direct representation by Umno?

Annonymous: Yes, thank you, Liow, for your timely and constant reminders. The good Chinese and people of all races heeded your call to be represented in the government and strongly responded by voting for Harapan in Penang and Selangor, and the Chinese are now well-represented in the state cabinet and government and are united with good Malays and all races to bring glory to these two richest states in the country.

And next, the Chinese and people of all races are disgusted and are now more prepared and will again heed your call to be represented in the government and will strongly respond to your appeal in the coming election by coming out in full force to vote for the Harapan coalition in other states: Kedah, Perak, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak for stronger representation in the state and the federal cabinet to wipe out racism, extremism and discrimination, and eliminate corruption and bring unity, peace, prosperity and progress for all, and ultimately to save the country from the corrupt in power.

Negarawan: In voting for the recent EC delineation, MCA, MIC and Gerakan have herded all Chinese and Indians voters to large constituencies, effectively castrating their political rights.

Chinese and Indian voters now have effectively only half the voting rights compared to their Malay counterparts in much smaller constituencies.

The future generations of Chinese and Indians are at stake because they have become second-class citizens, and we can foresee more racial and religious discord if Umno/BN remains in power.

MCA, MIC and Gerakan have utterly failed in their roles to represent the Chinese and Indian communities and have sold their souls to Umno.

Mushiro: Has the MCA representation in the cabinet during its peak of 31 MPs or during its worst of 7 MPs benefited the Chinese community?

The Chinese are a smart and pragmatic race and the fact that they abandoned the MCA and were willing to suffer for many years, tells a lot.

Now that the chances of securing an opposition win is real, no amount of threat by Liow or PM Najib Razak will make the Chinese lose focus in the next GE. In fact, the Chinese will go all out, quietly, to make a Harapan win possible.

Anonymous: MCA is a great party consisting of a few hundred thousand Chinese members, making it the top three Chinese-based party in the world, but the standards and the ideology of a few leaders in the party does not reflect its greatness.

When the next GE come, it will be the end of this great party but as a party member myself, I would rather see it fade away as soon as possible rather than to face the unbearable curse throw towards MCA every day.

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