KUALA LUMPUR – A push by MCA’s secretary-general for the party to forge its own path ahead of the next general election reflects growing discontent among its younger leaders, who feel MCA has been sidelined within Barisan Nasional (BN) and the unity government.
Former vice-president Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said Datuk Chong Sin Woon’s recent remarks are indicative of internal friction, with younger MCA leaders eager to take a bolder stance while the old guards remain cautious and uncertain about the party’s future direction.
Ti, who is also a former deputy minister, told Scoop that the younger generation is ready to realign MCA’s political footing and explore new partnerships, especially as Umno’s alliance with DAP – referred to as “UmDAP” – continues to dominate the current political landscape.
“The founding spirit in BN of consultation, accommodation, and consensus building is no longer in practice as Umno charts its own political survival and is now in a symbiotic relationship with DAP,” he said when contacted.
“Umno is now arbitrarily paddling and steering the BN wheels to work together with DAP to stay in power and sacrificing MCA for DAP. The younger generation (of MCA leaders) can see this clearly, whereas the incumbents are still in denial and nostalgic.”
According to Ti, the disconnect has sparked a “conflict of opinion” between party veterans and emerging voices, with younger leaders increasingly frustrated by the leadership’s reluctance to adapt.
He accused the old guard of holding on to an outdated strategy – clinging to positions of power and hoping for political scraps – while the younger cohort is prepared to take on an opposition role and directly confront the unity government.
“They (young leaders) are not buying the (narrative) of playing a check-and-balance role from within the unity government anymore. The idea of checking from within sounds stale.
“MCA failed when it did this with Umno for the past 60-plus years, but now DAP is stealing this MCA line and selling this ‘Kool-Aid’ kit from MCA to the minorities,” he added.
At a Selayang MCA division meeting late last month, Chong said MCA had given BN more than two years to determine its direction.
“If it continues to show a lack of clear direction, I believe MCA should take control of its future by setting its own course,” he was quoted as saying.
He expressed hope that the matter would be seriously discussed at the party’s division-level annual meeting in June, with feedback from the grassroots submitted to the central leadership for deliberation.
Chong’s view was later echoed by party vice-president and Penang chapter chief Datuk Tan Teik Cheng.
However, it drew criticism from some within BN. Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi urged MCA to stay loyal to the coalition and reflect instead on its declining support among Chinese voters.
Puad argued that BN should not be blamed for MCA’s poor performance in the 2022 general election, where it won only two parliamentary seats.
Singling out MCA, embracing DAP
Ti and a grassroots leader from a northern state – who spoke on condition of anonymity – said the growing dissatisfaction stems from MCA being marginalised within the unity coalition, particularly by Umno and DAP.
Ti criticised BN’s lack of collective decision-making and pointed to the recent Ayer Kuning by-election, where the use of the “UmDAP” label illustrated the ongoing collaboration between Umno and DAP to secure support from both Malay and Chinese voters.
Both he and the anonymous source warned that MCA risks being displaced as the political voice of the Chinese community by what they described as a “de facto Chinese party” – DAP.
They also noted that DAP had previously campaigned to “demolish and uproot MCA” in order to prevent Umno from “ruining the country.”
“It is obvious now that DAP wants to have a monopoly of the Chinese vote by displacing MCA using Umno. Although it claims to be a multi-racial party, the reality is that their mandate and their political chips are basically mainly Chinese voters and non-Malay voters.”
The anonymous source added that the sidelining of MCA was evident during the 2023 state elections, where DAP refused to concede any seats to the party despite the unity coalition’s pledge of cross-party cooperation.
He warned that if the same incumbency formula is applied in GE16, MCA could be blocked from contesting traditional strongholds.
Asked if grassroots members believe MCA should exit BN, the source said the question remains open – but the priority is to remain within the coalition.
“But if Barisan Nasional under (the leadership of Datuk Seri Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi) still insists on sticking to (working with) PH, then MCA has no hope at all,” he said. – May 21, 2025
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