KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) proposed for the Barisan Nasional-led State Government to appoint its senior leaders as advisors to its administration.
MCA president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek said the lack of representation from MCA in the state government had hindered its ‘effective service delivery system’ as they are unable to solve problems at the state level.
Chua made the call after the launch of the party’s state-level annual general meeting yesterday to improve its presence in the state administration after the dismal performance in the last general election.
“Sabah is a big state, a few times bigger than even the whole of West Malaysia. In terms of numbers, we have only about 30,000 (members). The fact that we have no representation now at the State Government is a big setback to us,” he said.
Chua added another way to approach the issue is through the tedious process whereby MCA leaders have to regain the trust of voters in hopes of entering the government.
He pointed out that after the 2008 General Election, states such as Perak had appointed MCA leaders as advisors at their state-level administration but did not do so this year because of MCA’s rejection of government posts.
“When we are not in the government with effective representation, our voices are limited,” Chua said.
Chua added that even at the federal level, MCA would only constitute six to seven per cent of cabinet should the government appoint two of its leaders in ministerial posts.
“…because the cabinet has 30 over ministers so if you add another two, it is another six per cent – in English, we say ‘so what’,” he said.
He emphasized that the BN and MCA leadership are not perfect, with a lot of room and space for improvement, especially with regards to the concept of power sharing.
“Is the concept of power sharing only relevant to government posts or should it permeate at every level of the government office?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Sabah MCA chairman Datuk Edward Khoo Keok Hai said that BN policies such as the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) do not tackle the root of problems.
He opined that MCA’s performance in the last general elections was caused by voters disappointed in the government which the opposition took advantage of.
He urged the government to provide clear vision and policies for the future generation. He also said that whatever smearing done by the opposition will not affect the general support for the Barisan Nasional-led government administration.
However, he mentioned that the government needs to rectify its shortcomings, especially in its delivery of policies as only through this manner would it benefit the people.
Khoo also said that the people’s sensitivities must be accounted for in policy implementation, and for sectors to deliver the promises.
“Do not say one thing this time, and change it the next minute,” he advised, adding that this is to prevent hasty decision making and to avoid public misconception.
He also stressed on transparency in policy-making and for the government to allocate its resources fairly.