MCA’s Ong Ka Chuan proposes DAP join BN

Business & Markets 2013
Written by Ho Wah Foon of theedgemalaysia.com
Thursday, 09 May 2013 14:29
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KUALA LUMPUR (May 9): MCA’s central committee member Datuk
Ong Ka Chuan has suggested that Chinese-based multi-racial
opposition party DAP join the Barisan Nasional (BN) to fill the void in
Chinese representation in the BN government.
He told Sin Chew Jit Poh in an interview: “During campaigning, the DAP
had given the impression to the Chinese voters their support would
enable the DAP (as part of the opposition alliance) to govern the
country. Now that it couldn’t, may be they should put the interest of the
Chinese community first and join BN.”
The MCA, a long-serving Chinese party within BN led by Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had fared badly in the in the just-concluded
general election. The party had earlier resolved not to take up any
Cabinet post if it lost badly.
Ong, MCA’s former organising secretary, said if DAP joins BN, it could
take care of Chinese interest in the BN government. DAP had won 38
parliamentary seats out of the total 222, while MCA only took home
seven seats.
The MCA veteran said Chinese representation in government is a crucial
issue now and many overseas Chinese Malaysians, when they returned
to vote last week, had hoped that the DAP could help govern the
country.
The DAP’s record in governing Penang with clean hands has impressed many people. And Penang has often been cited as a
model state under the opposition.
Ong said it is “not the exclusive right of the MCA” to represent Chinese in government, which he added is an urgent issue for
all Chinese now.
“As the DAP is responsible for bringing about this situation of no Chinese representation in government, it has the obligation to
look into this issue,” Ong said.
Chinese form about one quarter of Malaysia’s 28 million people. While Malays form over 50% of the population, Indians
account for under 10%.