We want DPM post: MCA delegates
Two delegates at the MCA 55th annual general meeting floated a previously unthinkable idea - that the party should be allocated a post as the country's deputy premier and Barisan Nasional chair.
Two delegates at the MCA 55th annual general meeting floated a previously unthinkable idea - that the party should be allocated positions as the country's deputy premier and Barisan Nasional deputy chair.
The morning kicked off with Penang delegate Tan Teik Cheng suggesting that MCA should have more clout in the BN should a party leader be made deputy prime minister and BN deputy chair.
The suggestion is bound to raise eyebrows as Umno has held on to both posts since independence from British rule in 1957.
Tan, a former Bagan Lalang assemblyperson, urged party leaders to hold talks with Umno to secure the deputy premier post, which he argued would help expedite reforms and allow MCA to head cabinet committees.
Selangor delegate Kow Cheong Wei too backed the idea of MCA taking the deputy premier post, but disagreed that negotiations be held with Umno. Kow said talks should be carried out with BN parties instead.
He also called for dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to discuss the MCA’s role in the coalition before the latter took over Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“We are not power crazy, but we want the authority and platform to resolve problems. The issue with the Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng (being detained under ISA) would not have happened, if the prime minister had spoken to our party leader.
“If Umno sees eye-to-eye with us, a lot of (negative) things wouldn't have happened. I urged that before Najib steps up, MCA should sit down and talk to him about our position,” Kow urged.
Bargain with Umno
Johor delegate Goh Hui Peng however disagreed that MCA should seek the deputy premiership.
“We don’t have many resentatives n the government. How can we then ask for the post of deputy prime minister?” she asked.
However, she suggested that MCA raised the matter again once it revived itself to its former glory.
Meanwhile, Federal Territories delegate Toh Kian Kok issued an ultimatum that Umno initiated reforms within a year or else MCA would “take action” in order to “save itself”.
“We currently have 15 MPs. If Umno doesn't reform, we can use our 15 MPs to bargain with them - if they don’t want to reform, then MCA would know where to go and do what they are supposed to do.
“However, if we continue to wait, I would be very afraid that during the next general election, it would be too late. We will have less than 15 seats and no bargaining power with Umno,” he said.
