MCA to ditch BN?

MCA is set to leave its coalition, Barisan Nasional, which it co-founded 72 years ago since the party is not happy with its current position.

“The grassroots are putting pressure from within for the MCA leadership to make a decision to leave BN.

“They consider BN, which is now led by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is no longer relevant to MCA because it has been sidelined in the government.

“However, the MCA leadership has yet to make any decision,” a source said, Malaysiakini reported.

The decision to part ways was fast tracked when BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that they would cooperate with Pakatan Harapan in the 16th general election.

That did not bode well with MCA leaders and members.

Seat distribution an issue

Seat distribution is the biggest issue for MCA to object to a BN – PH cooperation.

“For Umno, they won 26 parliamentary seats in GE15 and were still able to get a large share of the 73 parliamentary seats won by Perikatan Nasional.

“But we (MCA) only won two parliamentary seats (in 2022) and may have to clash with PKR and DAP to get other seats from the two parties to contest in the future,” he said.

MCA currently holds two parliament seats. Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong is Ayer Hitam MP and Wee Jeck Seng is Tanjung Piai MP.

Last year’s state polls saw MCA boycotting it with MIC.

The source told Malaysiakini that the party would support the coalition government until the end of the current term.

“The support for the government is MCA’s promise to the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Therefore, if we leave BN, we will (still) support the government,” the ource said.

The party also does not rule out cooperating with PN in the 16th general election.

MIC is also in the same predicament as MCA.