MCA today took offence with a remark made by Malacca Chief Minister and Umno vice-president Mohd Ali Rustam over the need for Umno to take charge of the government in order to better implement policies, especially the National Economic Policy.

lee wei kiat MCA Information and Communication Bureau chief Lee Wei Kiat criticised Mohd Ali over the latter's "irresponsible and myopic" remarks that it was only proper for Umno to control the government.

"Mohd Ali must bear in mind that Umno is not the sole party in the Barisan Nasional coalition government. All other BN component parties also contributed to BN's success in forming the federal government after each of the 12 general elections," said Lee in a statement.

"It is irresponsible and myopic of Mohd Ali to deny the efforts of all other BN component parties in successively forming the cabinet since 1957," he added.

He further said that all cabinet decisions on government policies were reached through consensus after consultation.

"It is never a case of any one party making unilateral decisions on behalf of BN for the whole nation.

"Living in the democratic country, such talk of a single political party determining the country's policies which could lead to despotic rule is unfeasible and illogical," he said.

Lee, newly appointed as the party's information chief by the new president Ong Tee Keat, also noted that Mohd Ali's remarks ran contrary to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's speech in the recently held MCA general meeting that Umno was not a party that bullied its coalition partners.

Mohd Ali's speech in Penang

Lee's exasperation was over Mohd Ali's speech made at the 6th annual delegates' conference of the Koperasi Kontraktor Melayu Malaysia Berhad in Penang last Sunday.

There, Mohd Ali repeated his stand that Umno must take control of the government to ensure Umno policies, especially the NEP.

ali rustam interview 281008 03 Mohd Ali had said that currently many Umno approved policies and plans could not be implemented with desired results due to lack of conviction at the federal government level.

Talking specifically about the NEP, the deputy president aspirant said that NEP action plans were noble and were to benefit all Malaysians, things had gone wrong at management and implementation level due to government's lethargy.

"Once the party controls the government, Umno then can firmly implement all policies and action plans for benefit of all, especially the Malays," he added.

He had also said the current political landscape in which the government acting freely from the party control did not augur well for Umno and the BN.

"So it's only proper for the party to control the government to implement policies, action plans and reforms desired by the masses.

"Otherwise Umno and BN would face serious political repercussions in the next general election," he had warned.

Political posturing by Umno politicians

Lee also touched on the need to be prepared for the next general election but warned that it would be wise to reflect on the political tsunami of the last general election.

"It was the vitriol and behaviour of superiority of one race above others that caused consternation among the multiracial Malaysian general public resulting with the backlash of votes against BN during the March 8 polls," he said.

He also said that Mohd Ali's remarks contravened the spirit of the NEP.

"Mohd Ali has painted a misrepresentation of the NEP's objectives. It should always be remembered that the NEP was formulated to eradicate poverty irrespective of race, and to remove economic identity with race.

"The NEP was never intended to be misused as a zero-sum game where in order for one race to move forward, it may only be done so at the expense of another," he added.

He added that the BN government should move towards eliminating all forms of urban and rural poverty among all Malaysians including the orang asli, natives from Sabah and Sarawak, Chinese, Indians and Sikhs.

He ended his statement by expressing his disappointment that some Umno politicians have resorted to political posturing to trump up support in the run up to the Umno party polls next March.