Is DAP afflicted with the MCA ailment that is likely to lead it to oblivion; the dilemma MCA is in?
Ronnie Liu thinks so. The former long-serving DAP member who left the party not too long ago said on last Monday that some DAP leaders may not realize it but they are acting and saying things reminiscent of those statements made by MCA leaders before them.
“We must compromise”, “We must look at the big picture”, “We will deal with the issues internally” - catchphrases of decision-making process during MCA’s 60 odd years as a partner in a very successful BN government. Ronnie Liu must have inferred that this set of once successful strategies employed by MCA over the course of six decades were also the cause of MCA’s downfall and that by carrying out a similar strategy, DAP is heading towards the MCA dilemma of irrelevance.
Here Mr Ronnie Liu may be too quick at the draw. MCA was in power and in cahoots with BN for over 6 decades in which it had that length of time to sort things out. And DAP, who had all those while on the other side of the political fence had just got into a ruling administration with two sets of unruly and unplanned partners all added up to less than 3 years.
Ronnie Liu also pointed out that DAP leaders may have fallen into the 3 Ps trap -of greed - that of Power, Position and Perks which could also be a cause that lulled them into a sense of comfort and complacency.
Obviously, it is not fair to adjudicate this predicament with the same yardstick or criteria to conclude that DAP is already in a dilemma, facing irrelevance.
Azmi Hassan of the Akademi Nusantara sees things differently. He says Ronnie Liu’s analysis is “way off the mark!”
Azmi argued that DAP is more dominant than UMNO is the current DSAI ruling coalition and yet is able to maintain its relevance while in the past it was a overwhelmingly powerful UMNO that saw MCA reduced to a weak party.
To reinforce his argument, Azmi went on to say that in the coming state elections DAP supporters would need to set aside their dislike for UMNO and throw there support for the party’s UNNO candidate because the alternative is PAS. On the other hand, if a DAP candidate is fielded, UMNO grassroots might be tempted to cast their support for the more “attractive alternative“ - a PAS candidate.
A third voice on the race-based Malaysian political scene is heard from across the Causeway.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore-based Institute for International Affairs has this to say: Oh Ei Sun pointed out that numerous rules, both explicit and implicit ones have been introduced over the years into the Malaysian socio-political system to ensure “an absolute Malay dominance”.
Oh Ei Sun went on to say that non-Malay parties to a certain extent could be in a better position to champion for more equal treatments for their community while in the opposition. However, when these parties become part of the ruling coalition they would inevitably have to buy into the “unquestionable dominance of Malay or Malay majority parties. This includes compromising on issues pertaining to the interests of the non Malays, which would more often irk their supporters who may drift away in search of another party which they hope might be better able to champion their cause.
Oh went on to say that non-Malay parties could voice their concerns when their dominant coalition partners become “too Malay-centric“ but given the existing socio-political set up, they would be hounded out - inflicted with the “ MCA dilemma”.
Oh’s comment contrasts starkly with that of Tun Mahathir’s who expresses his fears that Malays may be losing their grips on the nation. He fears that by selling their lands Malays would lose out, economically and possibly politically too and that Malaysia may end up like Singapore- a Chinese dominant country.
Here then, we have three people from different backgrounds having their say on the same predicament. Obviously all three come to the same conclusion: that Chinese political parties are in a no win position- the sort of “you are damned if you do, you are damned if you don’t” predicament.
DAP may yet wish to use these comments as useful reminder, lest they too will easily fall into the MCA dilemma - one of facing the inevitable irrelevance. How sad !?
By Oyang Sen
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