Phang: MCA must shed its arrogance

START WORK: 'Leaders must look seriously into Chinese issues'

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA needs to eat humble pie and undergo an overhaul of its leadership if the party is to regain the support of the Chinese community.

Community leader Tan Sri Robert Phang yesterday appealed to the party's delegates and members to choose leaders who were serious about handling Chinese issues.

"The MCA leadership has forgotten that their real bosses are the people. Instead, they have become arrogant by portraying themselves as high and mighty," he said, adding that it was time for party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek to step down.

He said the Chinese community would reject MCA leaders even further if they did not change their attitude, pointing out that the people had made their stand clear at the 13th General Election. The party only managed to secure seven out of 37 parliamentary seats and 11 out of 90 state seats contested on May 5.

While pointing out that leaders themselves had to be responsible for how the party fared, Phang said pressing Chinese issues, such as education, had not been handled effectively under Dr Chua's leadership.

"MCA has been challenging and belittling Dong Zong (United Chinese Schools Committees Association), which has been actively trying to find a solution to Chinese education issues. But, until now, MCA itself has not solved any of these problems."

Phang, who is Social Care Foundation chairman, was sceptical whether MCA could make a comeback in the next general election.

He stressed that if they did, the new leadership had to be truthful to the Chinese community and receptive to the problems raised by them.

"MCA has been rejected by 80 per cent of Chinese voters because instead of working together with the rakyat, they had scolded us."

Phang said MCA used the wrong approach in reaching out to voters in the recent general election.

"Dr Chua kept telling the Chinese that they had better elect MCA or they would be in trouble. The Chinese community would have considered MCA. But why would they after they had been threatened?"

He expressed hope that the MCA leadership would settle all its problems so as not to create more issues for the prime minister.


Source: Phang: MCA must shed its arrogance - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/phang-mca-must-shed-its-arrogance-1.282487#ixzz2TnHn4j00