KLANG, Sept 27 — MCA will not leave Barisan Nasional (BN) so as to ensure continued economic growth and to preserve racial harmony in the country, its secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan reiterated today.
He said MCA, as one of the founding members of BN, need not resort to quitting BN just because an Umno leader had made a racist statement, labelling the Chinese as immigrants.
Ong, who is also Housing and Local Government Minister, said only a small number of leaders and members in Umno had that kind of attitude but the others in Umno and other BN component parties showed tolerance and placed importance on racial unity.
"We have no other choice as BN is the best in ensuring unity and protection of the rights and interests of all races in this country," he said after opening the Kapar MCA division's new office at Mutiara Point, Jalan Meru, here today.
He said MCA leaders and members must realise that Umno was the best partner for the biggest Chinese-based party in the country under the BN umbrella.
"MCA will not team up with PAS as it has never established cooperation and good relations with the party like it has with Umno."
Ong said MCA would also not team up with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) as it did not want history to repeat itself. In 1951, with the setting up of the Independence Malayan Party (IMP), MCA lost support and direction.
He said former MCA president Tun Tan Cheng Lok joined IMP which was set up by Datuk Onn Jaafar three weeks after he quit Umno in 1951.
Ong said the late Tan gave his full support to IMP because he was a good friend of Onn but the party did not receive support from the people and was dissolved in 1954.
Ong, who is contesting the MCA deputy president’s post in the party elections next month, said he could not care less if he was labelled pro-BN because the people ought to be told the truth and the reality that MCA had to face.
He also said that MCA placed high hopes in Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who would be taking over the reins of government, to bring a major change to BN by opening up more opportunities in all fields to the various races. — Bernama
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How many times in the past has Umno shown us that it is an unreliable partner by virtue of its partisan politics and policies and its crude, hopelessly lopsided (mis)interpretation of the NEP? Every which way you turn to look at the state of the nation today reveals nothing but a desolate landscape, incorrigibly corrupted to the core, inconsolably crime-infested, and downright unhappy, unhealthy and unhomely. All said and done, lo and behold, the very handiwork of a fledging behemoth on the road to its own destruction.
MCA leaders should know that there is little dignity in being Umno's stooge, perpetually living in a climate of fear, scuttering like timid rats whenever the big bully boy comes a-calling.. MCA leaders should also know that there is only contempt when there is nothing left but walk alongside this lumbering historical artefact as sycophant-in-attendance for the sake of longevity and keeping that fragile, untenable peace. MCA leaders should know that when push comes to shove, the only recourse left is to stick the nose up high in the air, brush the dirt off your chest and walk over to the opposition and shake friends with true Malaysians.