By Helen Ang
The accusation ‘Umno bully’ saw both sides dancing with shadows, one defending and the other denying the charge.
Just-retired MCA chief Ong Ka Ting made the allegation by invoking perception. Ong said in his keynote address on Saturday that many people perceive power-sharing by BN to be neither effective nor fair, and Umno seen as dominant. He said the power-sharing is only seen as lip service and pleaded to the Prime Minister that it should not be viewed as though Umno alone determines policies.
It’s reflective of MCA that Ong can’t even talk straight at his own party’s recent general assembly but instead resorted to words like ‘perceive’, ‘seen as’ and ‘viewed as though’.
It’s also reflective of BN that the coalition chairman Abdullah Ahmad Badawi categorically denied Umno is a bully. Abdullah told MCA members not to believe Ong was a weak leader easily bullied. Cabinet discussed issues in a cordial, co-operative and constructive manner, Abdullah said.
Umno says, MCA obeys; and the latter being told one thing and actually experiencing another has led to a party that can’t think straight. Its Youth wing called for the creation of a second BN deputy chairman post and MCA to be given this chair. There’s even talk of ‘MCA deputy PM’.
Sunday Star reported Abdullah as saying, “There is no such thing as bully but we are all friends??? and that “he had also given in to Ong’s appeal for MCA’s quota in the Cabinet to be retained despite its losses in the general election.???
Two questions: (1) Is MCA’s preoccupation with Cabinet crumbs to the benefit of party leaders, or the community they claim to represent? (2) Do you think that even if the MCA president was job-titled – say, ‘Great Grand Vizier’ – instead of Housing Minister, he would have been less impotent in the BN set-up?
What a joke to make demands when Umno’s pole position in the BN pecking order is consolidated, not diminished by the March 8 results. And incredulous how MCA delegates have yet to comprehend that while their party was set back, Umno had a good run. Whereas the Chinese vote swing against BN was about 30%, Malay swing was only some 5%. So not only does Umno remain the biggest single bloc by far in Parliament with 79 seats, it’s holding the Malay ground.
BN way or the (ouch, tolled) highway
In my previous article ‘The Hundraf of Umno’s making’, I presented other facets to the statistics cited by Syed Hamid Albar. However, to show up the selectivity of the Home Minister in pitting Malay against Indian, I had most unfortunately to talk his lingo and play at his game. And the name of the BN game is unchangingly Race and Religion.
The BN methodology of ‘proper channels’ and ‘consensus’ made a mockery of MCA and Gerakan. The ‘dacing' racialism should be shredded, just like state papers were after Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo’s fall. The BN rainbow coalition has failed to convince us how politicians sharing our skin colour have our best interests at heart.
Pakatan Rakyat’s Khalid Ibrahim is one heartening example of progressive leadership. The present Selangor Menteri Besar has been supportive of dismantling NEP and suggested opening UiTM to non-Malays; Khalid is pushing the envelope where we’ve previously heard mousy squeaks from MCA.
Responding to the Conference of Rulers’ Oct 16 statement on safeguarding Malay special position, he said Malaysians could continue to speak out on the execution of policies in regard to the social contract. “This (reminder) does not restrict or stop the people from speaking out and commenting in terms of its execution but it is best if the people can respect the culture and etiquette of one another,??? he was quoted as saying.
Respect for social justice is a good alternative approach rather than the ‘social contract’ that’s being bandied about. Economic catch-up, in nature preferential for Malays, can be defended if the other side of the barter – political rights for Chinese and Indians – is adhered to.
Umno’s poisoned chalice
Hundraf has arisen as an equal and opposite reaction to Umno’s actions – a party which does not embody the budi bahasa of the Malay.
The present injection of testosterone into Gerakan and MCA – following the confession by former Gerakan president Lim Keng Yaik that Umno satellites are like ‘beggars’ in the BN, and now the admission of ‘bullying’ by Ong – would be hilarious if not for the rank hypocrisy so long an ingredient of the BN infantile formula.
As the two (i.e. Chinese and Chinese-dominated) parties now attempt to be men and not mice, it falls to Gerakan Wanita chief Tan Lian Hoe to call the Malay ‘immigrants’.
What’s her purpose? After all, her party accepts the sovereignty of the Malay rulers, the status of Malay as national language and other aspects of Malay overlordship. Questioning Malay indigenity to score political points is not only pointless, it’s unproductive.
The minorities’ beef is with Umno, not with the Malay race, and bully to which Malay pocket all the money has gone.
If you agree with me that the BN infant formula is a tainted milk product, then you can grasp how the ruling elites are a poison to race relations. I have one word for MCA – melamine.
