MCA service centres are closing down not due to a lack of funds but because they would be less effective, now that the party is no longer in the ruling coalition.

This is according to MCA publicity spokesperson Ti Lian Ker, who also said the service centres were not dependent on BN for funding and as such their closure had nothing to do with BN’s loss of federal power.

MCA service centres were usually self-funded by local leaders or divisions, he explained.

“The MCA leadership respects the wishes and decisions of grassroots leaders to close their service centres or to downsize as these centres are mainly administered by volunteers who accept that their services will no longer be effective since they no longer have access to any of the ministries,” Ti said in a statement today.

The grassroots leaders are frustrated, he said, because while they had been busy assisting their community, others were “busy playing politics”.

“At the end of the day, it was the political players that won the votes for the services rendered by MCA.”

MCA’s political strength, he said, had always been its public services to the point that it overshadowed the party’s role on policy matters and maintaining check-and-balance within BN, Ti claimed.

He said there were three types of MCA service centres, the first type being centres set up by MCA’s elected MPs and state assemblypersons, which will close once these representatives are no longer in office.

The second type were centres set up by local councillors or aspiring candidates in their constituencies which were mainly self-funded initiatives by party leaders and will be closed down based on the decisions of these leaders.

The last are the MCA service centres at the various division or branch offices which are funded by the divisions or branches themselves, largely without financial assistance from the party headquarters.

“Thus the implication that MCA service centres were closed because of the lack of funds as a result of BN’s loss of power in Putrajaya is incorrect, false and mischievous,” Ti said.

He called upon the Pakatan Harapan parties that are now in government to emulate MCA in rendering public services diligently to all constituents, regardless of race or political affiliations.