Former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker has suggested that the Democratic Action Party (DAP), under the leadership of Secretary-General Anthony Loke, has increasingly resembled the very party it once mocked—turning into what he described as MCA 2.0.
His remarks came after Anthony dismissed the need for cooperation with MCA, saying DAP could function well without the Barisan Nasional component party. Ti argued that this was not the first time Anthony had spoken in such a manner, recalling how the DAP leader had previously expressed disdain towards MCA on several occasions.
According to Ti, DAP’s current stance is deeply ironic, as the party once prided itself on being outspoken, uncompromising, and different from MCA, which was often portrayed as submissive to UMNO. However, he noted that promises once made by DAP have been quietly shelved. Local government elections remain on hold, recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate is unresolved, and institutional reforms are nowhere to be seen. On critical issues affecting coalition partners, DAP, he added, has chosen silence instead of principle.
Ti further pointed out that the party had built part of its political struggle on the fight for justice for Teoh Beng Hock, who died in custody of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in 2009. While Lim Kit Siang had once apologised to Teoh’s family for the party’s failure to fulfil that pledge, Ti questioned where Anthony stood on the matter today. To him, the absence of continued pursuit symbolised a betrayal of one of DAP’s most fundamental promises.
Comparisons were also drawn between past and present leadership. Figures such as Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh were remembered for their courage and principles, while Anthony, in Ti’s view, projected arrogance without demonstrating the bravery and integrity once synonymous with the party. Instead, Anthony was likened to former MCA president Ling Liong Sik, who was known for political compromise, though even Ling, Ti said, appeared more consistent than Anthony.
He concluded that DAP, which once rallied Malaysians with slogans of change and defiance, had under Anthony’s leadership shifted towards political accommodation and submission. MCA, despite its limited influence, remained consistent, while DAP, once seen as a beacon of reform, now risked being perceived as nothing more than MCA reborn—louder in rhetoric but weaker in delivery.
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