Malaysia: The MCA key to BN's victory in next polls
The MCA is a stabilizing factor in the BN
The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a political party with a strong
racial connotation has grown in dimension and in strength within the
Barisan
National (BN). The BN depends largely on the presence of the MCA within
its
ranks to ensure victory in the upcoming general elections. Observers told
World Futures the MCA is the key to stability within the BN but they warn
that not everything is rosy for the MCA.
The party is currently dealing with what many sees as growing discontent
in
its ranks over such issues as constitutional rights of the citizens, the
National Economic Plan (NEP) designed to help the Malay community grow
economically and the role of Islam in the country. Political experts
though
insist that these issues will not hamper the BN in the next elections.
"Time has changed and the role of the various parties within the BN has
also
changed. The MCA has a greater role to play in the BN than ever before,"
said one observer, who added that the country is witnessing a wind of
change
that will force the parties within the BN to adapt or to simply lose their
grounds.
"Race has become a major political issue in Malaysia and the only thing
that
is keeping the situation calm is the very fact that the BN is a
multi-racial
coalition in power. The question is if the country wants to shift from its
racial based politics, what will be the role of the MCA in this shift?"
asked another observer.
The key to these changes could well be in the hands of the MCA itself
argues
the experts who believes that Malaysia is on course to major changes. They
also believe that after the next polls, the next five years of the regime
of
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be the "do or die" season. The
changes that the country need will be drastic and parties like the MCA
should be prepared for these.
"Living in a multi-racial country, there is a tendency for others to
misinterpret MCA's moves and turn them into issues for their political
gain.
For that matter, MCA leaders are very careful with their choice of words
and
what they say as it can be misconstrued," said MCA President Dato' Seri
Ong
Ka Ting, threading with caution on hot issues that could otherwise create
bickerings even among BN component parties.
A visit at the party's website indicates the concerns of the party on
issues
dealing with the Federal Constitution and the equal rights of the Chinese
community. An article
<http://mca.org.my/story.asp?file=/articles/news/2005/7/12/43487.html&sec=In
+The+News> by an unknown writer suggests that the issue of Malaysia being
an Islamic state should be disregarded. It quoted remarks by a
Muslim-Malay
writer Radzuan Halim who addressed the question of Islamic state.
"The Federal Constitution Article 3 states that 'Islam is the religion of
the Federation.' Let us leave it at that and not to go on to say that
'Malaysia is an Islamic country.' Wrote Radzuan Halim and the MCA writer
expressed views that tend to support this idea.
The concern of the MCA over the 'Islamic state' issue is crucial for the
party to secure the support of its electorate. The reference to Malaysia
as
an Islamic country is damaging to the MCA as it suggests that the Chinese
community - the voter base of the MCA - will eventually have to follow
this
form of Islamic state.
The party is obviously battling rising criticism from its electorate on
this
issue that has created succinct divisions among the BN component parties.
The United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has altogether not helped
in
this issue, raising the specter of wider Islamic rule in Malaysia in a bid
to overtake the Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).
The MCA is also stifled in the cultural heritage of the Chinese community
and this is represented by the party's resistance to change in the Chinese
Schools. A recent article on the MCA website indicates there will be no
relenting resistance to any changes in the national curriculum that could
affect the very existence of vernacular schools in Malaysia. The MCA is
joined on this issue by the Gerakan - the full name of the party is
Gerakan
Rakyat Malaysia - and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC). Several other
components of the BN are also against any idea of changes in the education
system that would bring harm to the vernacular schools.
On the MCA website a letter by a reader on Chinese
<http://mca.org.my/story.asp?file=/articles/letters/2005/11/48016.html&sec=L
etters+%2D+Write+to+Us> schools criticized the Education Ministry for
seeking to encourage the use of English language. The article said "while
seeking to encourage the use of the English language the Education
Ministry
has taken upon itself to 'think' for the Chinese schools on what and how
things should be taught,"
It is obvious that a large section of the Chinese communities would rather
send their children to vernacular schools rather than government schools.
They feel the need to safeguard their culture and community heritage
through
these schools.
Changes will eventually be brought in these sectors since the strong
desire
among the Chinese community to see the country move away from its
pro-Malay/Bumiputera policies will have to be achieved at a price. The
price
might well be the abandonment of the focus of parties like the MCA and the
Gerakan or the DAP on the need to fully protect vernacular schools, said
one
observer.
"The MCA leaders are aware that Malaysia needs to fully embrace the
Knowledge Based Economy (KBE) theory, which is already well in advance in
Singapore, Thailand and even in Indonesia. Where will the MCA be heading
if
it rejects this theory and sticks its gun to the Chinese schools?" asked
an
expert in education who was approached by World Future to discuss the
issue.
In the event the MCA leadership decides to press forward for KBE and for
the
increasing use of English language in the education system, it risks
losing
support from its electoral base. Yet no changes can be made in a country
if
the fundaments are not shifted and a new focus given to them.
Malaysia is preparing to become a full fledge member of the ASEAN
community,
which is currently in the making and will come into effect - legally
speaking - a few years from now. Members of the Association of East Asian
Nations (Asean) will have to abide to a charter which is already seen as
revolutionary.
The KBE will also become a reality in the region since the global world
will
ensure that most nations use English language for international
communications. In China, the English language has made headway since most
Chinese companies and factories have adopted English as the medium of
communicating with the rest of the world.
The MCA president has assured party supporters that 'the MCA is also
working
with the government to build more Chinese primary schools which will
accommodate more students. There are now 1,290 primary Chinese schools in
the country needing expansion in the near future. The MCA is aware of the
aspirations of the community and the party will carry out ways and means
to
assist all these schools,"
However there is no indication from the leader of the party on how he
plans
to bring the integration of the Chinese schools to follow the mainstream
system - government and private schools - in the wake of globalization.
Malaysia will not escape from these changes and if the Chinese community
refuses to budge on its strict adherence to vernacular schools, it will be
surpassed by the community that will adapt itself to the Asean charter and
to the use of English language in the global world, said a Muslim observer
to WFOL.
He added though that the Malays in particular would gain largely from the
use of English language, which would not disrupt their use of the Malay
language as their ancestral heritage while most of the community have
adopted 'religious' schools as an addition to government schools.
"The Malay community has in effect started their own revolution and if
they
go further in accepting to allow their children to study in English and
continue sending these children to additional Islamic schools for
'religious' classes, they will end up the winners," he said.
He said the PAS or the Keadilaan will not impact on the government's
decision to press forward for the use of English language as the new
medium
of teaching. This means that the UMNO will not be severely challenged on
these issues and will be more prone to accept changes, the changes that
will
come thanks to the Asean Charter and the pressures of globalization.
"But the UMNO does not hold the keys to the final transition of the
Chinese
and Indian communities into the KBE. It is the MCA that holds the keys and
it will have to decide after the upcoming polls, whether it was to gain an
edge on the language issue and the issues of globalization," he said.
The BN knows that as long as the MCA is within its ranks, the coalition
fears not the opposition and this will be true as long as the MCA controls
its electoral base. Would any shift in the policies of the MCA affect its
base? The party will have to adopt a wise strategy that would bring its
supporters to give credence to the KBE and the use of English as the
mainstream language in the country.
It risks criticism and defections but this will not trigger the demise of
the BN. The MCA is one of the most powerful political organizations in the
region and it can be said that it is the most stable in Malaysia. It has a
long story of compromise with the UMNO and other partners in the BN
coalition.
However observers believe there is a wind of change in the country, some
of
which may have unforeseen consequences on the Malaysians, and that the MCA
like the UMNO and the MIC will have adapt to these changes.
The issue of the Chinese vote in the upcoming polls is of great interest
to
observers who believe the MCA will play the vital role of keeping the
Chinese vote within the BN. One observer told World Futures that as long
as
the MCA is part and parcel of the BN, the coalition government will win
the
majority of the Chinese votes and that will be sufficient to keep the BN
in
power for another 5 years.
This does not discount the support base of the Gerakan, the other Chinese
based party in the BN coalition but it is well known that though the
Gerakan
has its own pockets of support and is not necessarily strong at national
level. That is the reason why the MCA is the largest and strongest Chinese
party in Malaysia.
It is also the richest among the Chinese political parties in the
government
and in the opposition put together. It has the most powerful grass root
organization after the UMNO and even surpasses the Parti Islam Se Malaysia
(PAS) in organizational structure.
If the country is to change, it will largely depend on the MCA, added the
observers. Without the MCA's tacit approval for major changes in Malaysia,
the BN will face deep crises and this will not be good for the country's
future, they added.
According to Koo Chin Nam, division Chairman of the MCA, Putrajaya
division,
the issue of Islamic state will continue to be of importance in Malaysia.
He
suggests that the MCA prepares itself for this 'new agenda'. His statement
in an article for the Guardian
<http://www.mca.org.my/pdfdocs/16/jul2005.pdf> is in effect a warning to
the MCA leaders that not everything is rosy for the party or the BN if
such
issues are treated with adamant attitudes.
"The Islamic issue will continue to colour the social economic and
political
development for multireligious and multi-racial Malaysia. Chinese leaders
therefore need to have a good knowledge and understanding of how the new
agenda will affect the Chinese so as to give the correct response for a
better future," said Koo Chin Nam.
Koo Chin Nam is an Advocate & Solicitor and a Syariah lawyer. He is also
the
Division Chairman for Putrajaya Division and the MCA Legal Bureau Head for
Wilayah Persekutuan. He contributes to the Guardian, a Magazine published
by
the MCA.
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