Two big losers in Suqiu-Umno Youth spar
James Wong Wing OnPublished: Jan 12, 2001 4:58 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
After a few days of sullen disbelief, the Chinese community, especially those who are active in the civil society, have started to talk about Suqiu again. Who wins? Who loses?
Who is the first confirmed loser ? Suqiu, the Malaysian Chinese Organisations' Election Appeals? Suqiu Working Committee? Chinese activists of the reformasi movement? All wrong.
The first confirmed loser is none other than the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) which is the second largest component of the ruling Barisan Nasional, and the partner of Umno for 51 years since its inception in 1949.
It is because in such an important national issue concerning the Chinese community, MCA had been sidelined or "set aside" by Umno and Umno Youth in the entire process of "neutralising" and "turning over" the Working Committee of Suqiu. Umno Youth dealt with the committee via Gerakan, a traditional rival of MCA within the BN.
For it has been confirmed that Gerakan, especially its deputy president Kerk Choo Ting who is also the Deputy Minister for International Trade and Industy, was instrumental in "convincing" the committee that there was indeed a very serious "threat" of "racial tension" as a result of GPMS' "vehement" opposition to Suqiu. Before joining Gerakan in 1982, Kerk had been an activist of the Chinese education movement.
And so, Gerakan has done a "better job" than MCA whose president Ling Liong Sik was quoted as saying that only two percent of Suqiu's 17-point appeals are "sensitive" and the remaining 98 percent are alright. However, as DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang has pointed out with almost mathematical precision, the "set-aside" seven sub-points make up of 9 percent of the original Suqiu's 83 sub-points.
A sell-out
Anyway, Gerakan and Kerk had quickly called a press conference for the Chinese-language press to claim credit for himself. But little did Gerakan and Kerk know that to many ordinary Chinese in the streets, that was not a credit but a rather foolish self-confirmation of "betrayal" and "sell-out". Well, the Chinese masses are now joined by many MCA grassroot leaders, members and supporters, condemning Gerakan and its role in the popularly perceived "sell-out".
MCA has been sidelined and Gerakan has misjudged the popular mood of the Chinese community. All because of Umno.
Has Umno or Umno Youth really succeeded ? Of course, they and Utusan Malaysia would like to think so, as they also think that the economy has recovered.
On the ground, ordinary Chinese are angry. In general, they think the Suqiu Working Committee should not have made any agreement with Umno Youth without first consulting the some 2,000 endorsing organisations throughout the country. And who is Umno Youth to deal with adults?
Without a doubt, no honest Chinese now believes that Umno is not a racist party.
Suqiu under fire
It seems that the Suqiu Working Committee is also under fire within the community of Chinese associations and youth groups.
A noteworthy criticism is that the older generation of Chinese leaders relied and trusted too much the "assessment of situation" provided by Gerakan and Kerk (who in turn relied on Utusan Malaysia and Umno), which suggested implicitly that "May 13" would happen again if Suqiu Working Committee refused to agree to set aside the seven sub-points.
The younger generation of activists are generally of the opinion that after the general elections in 1999, it has been PAS and Parti Keadilan Nasional, not Umno, which commands the political loyalty of the majority of Malays and Muslims.
And PAS has openly condemned assabiyah(ethnic chauvinism) and warned against "Malay extremists" in the Harakah, while Keadilan has recruited some Chinese and Indian leaders. Why are old Chinese still fearful of Umno?
So the Working Comittee of Suqiu has finally decided to call a meeting to "look into" the "reactions of the community". The story of Suqiu has not ended yet. What is no more in the Chinese community is the image of Dr.Mahathir Mohamad as a trustworthy leader who keeps his word, and Umno as a "moderate" party.
Who is the first confirmed loser ? Suqiu, the Malaysian Chinese Organisations' Election Appeals? Suqiu Working Committee? Chinese activists of the reformasi movement? All wrong.
The first confirmed loser is none other than the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) which is the second largest component of the ruling Barisan Nasional, and the partner of Umno for 51 years since its inception in 1949.
It is because in such an important national issue concerning the Chinese community, MCA had been sidelined or "set aside" by Umno and Umno Youth in the entire process of "neutralising" and "turning over" the Working Committee of Suqiu. Umno Youth dealt with the committee via Gerakan, a traditional rival of MCA within the BN.
For it has been confirmed that Gerakan, especially its deputy president Kerk Choo Ting who is also the Deputy Minister for International Trade and Industy, was instrumental in "convincing" the committee that there was indeed a very serious "threat" of "racial tension" as a result of GPMS' "vehement" opposition to Suqiu. Before joining Gerakan in 1982, Kerk had been an activist of the Chinese education movement.
And so, Gerakan has done a "better job" than MCA whose president Ling Liong Sik was quoted as saying that only two percent of Suqiu's 17-point appeals are "sensitive" and the remaining 98 percent are alright. However, as DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang has pointed out with almost mathematical precision, the "set-aside" seven sub-points make up of 9 percent of the original Suqiu's 83 sub-points.
A sell-out
Anyway, Gerakan and Kerk had quickly called a press conference for the Chinese-language press to claim credit for himself. But little did Gerakan and Kerk know that to many ordinary Chinese in the streets, that was not a credit but a rather foolish self-confirmation of "betrayal" and "sell-out". Well, the Chinese masses are now joined by many MCA grassroot leaders, members and supporters, condemning Gerakan and its role in the popularly perceived "sell-out".
MCA has been sidelined and Gerakan has misjudged the popular mood of the Chinese community. All because of Umno.
Has Umno or Umno Youth really succeeded ? Of course, they and Utusan Malaysia would like to think so, as they also think that the economy has recovered.
On the ground, ordinary Chinese are angry. In general, they think the Suqiu Working Committee should not have made any agreement with Umno Youth without first consulting the some 2,000 endorsing organisations throughout the country. And who is Umno Youth to deal with adults?
Without a doubt, no honest Chinese now believes that Umno is not a racist party.
Suqiu under fire
It seems that the Suqiu Working Committee is also under fire within the community of Chinese associations and youth groups.
A noteworthy criticism is that the older generation of Chinese leaders relied and trusted too much the "assessment of situation" provided by Gerakan and Kerk (who in turn relied on Utusan Malaysia and Umno), which suggested implicitly that "May 13" would happen again if Suqiu Working Committee refused to agree to set aside the seven sub-points.
The younger generation of activists are generally of the opinion that after the general elections in 1999, it has been PAS and Parti Keadilan Nasional, not Umno, which commands the political loyalty of the majority of Malays and Muslims.
And PAS has openly condemned assabiyah(ethnic chauvinism) and warned against "Malay extremists" in the Harakah, while Keadilan has recruited some Chinese and Indian leaders. Why are old Chinese still fearful of Umno?
So the Working Comittee of Suqiu has finally decided to call a meeting to "look into" the "reactions of the community". The story of Suqiu has not ended yet. What is no more in the Chinese community is the image of Dr.Mahathir Mohamad as a trustworthy leader who keeps his word, and Umno as a "moderate" party.
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