‘MCA, MIC calls to quit BN mere noises to appease grassroots support’

The ongoing calls for both MCA and MIC to leave the BN coalition are merely noises to make the grassroots of both parties feel good, said a political analyst

“There is a lot of noise because both MCA and MIC are facing tremendous pressure. A lot of their supporters are now at the DAP service centres.

“They can’t survive outside the BN ecosystem. All these noise is only meant to make the grassroots feel good,” said Professor James Chin of Tasmania University, Australia.

He said this when asked to comment on the ongoing calls for MCA and MIC to leave BN.

Several months ago MCA’s had voiced out calls to reconsider remaining in the BN. MIC did so more recently with MIC deputy president Datuk M Saravanan claiming that his party is being treated like a step child in the coalition.

Kedah MIC passed a resolution to break away from BN in the state. The resolution also is supported by Penang MIC.

Commenting further, Chin pointed out that both parties have also been playing the role of checking on the government.

Both parties have become very good at checking on the government. MCA and MIC have turned into DAP 2.0,” he said, referring to the role of the DAP before it became part of the ruling coalition.

He further said that there is no possibility for both MCA and MIC to return strong.

“There is no solution for them without strength in the number of seats they have.”

Both parties have exco positions in Melaka and Johor. At the federal level, MCA holds Tanjung Piai and Ayer Itam.

Chin is also confident that both parties would not get more seats to contest in the general election.

“The BN system have bitten them because they can only get seats if they are incumbents defending them.”

He also highlighted a problem for Umno which leads BN with 26 parliament seats.

“Umno only has 26 parliament seats. It is almost the same as GPS. How can Umno hold the first deputy prime minister post if they are have smaller numbers than GPS?”

GPS is the ruling coalition in Sarawak and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof is second deputy prime minister in the Madani government. At present, GPS has 23 seats in parliament.

“It is impossible for Umno to give seats to MCA and MIC. It needs to increase its seats without giving seats to MIC and MCA.”