“BN should stand solo. Otherwise, the BN leadership will be doing an injustice to the party,” said former MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker.
PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional (BN) should contest in the next Malacca state election on its own rather than continue cooperation with Pakatan Harapan, said former MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker.
He said MCA should also be allocated all the seats it had previously contested in the state.
“BN should stand solo. Otherwise, the BN leadership will be doing an injustice to the party,” he told theSun.
Ti, who is also a former deputy minister, said he has consistently advocated MCA and BN contest elections on their own. He added that MCA should also be allowed to contest seven seats and not be limited to only two in Malacca as it would undermine its long-standing roots in the state.
In the 2021 state election in Malacca, MCA contested in seven constituencies under the BN banner but only won two, in Machap Jaya and Klebang.
MCA was founded by Tun Tan Cheng Lock from Malacca, and we have a very strong presence, tradition and political legacy here.”
Ti attributed MCA’s past electoral setbacks to a combination of factors, including poor strategy, complacency and damage arising from its association with other political parties.
Despite the setbacks, he expressed confidence that the party could rebuild its support base.
“Give us time. We can and will make a strong comeback.”
Ti said MCA’s defeats should serve as a wake-up call rather than a reason to write off the party, citing Bob Dylan’s classic song The Times They Are a-Changin.
Quoting its lyrics, “for the loser now will be later to win”, he said political fortunes could change, and MCA should not be underestimated.
Referring to MCA’s current relationship with DAP under the Unity government, Ti said it should not be viewed as a formal political alliance and insisted BN should chart its own course in the state.
“We only have a tahaluf siyasi relationship with DAP, not a coalition,” he said, using a term popularised by PAS to describe political cooperation without forming a formal coalition.
Ti also claimed that the current political landscape had shifted and DAP could no longer claim superiority over MCA, as the two parties are now “in parity”.
