KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Youth Information chief Neow Choo Seong said the party never expected to be part of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Cabinet lineup, even as Tuesday’s reshuffle once again left them out of ministerial posts.
Neow said MCA’s exclusion from the Cabinet should not be seen as a failure but as an opportunity to redefine the party’s role.
“I never expected MCA to be in the Cabinet. So, I think that is the beauty. Because when we are not in, we are more free,” he told theSun in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
The former diplomat said the continued exclusion should be seen as a renewed freedom to provide checks and balances on government policies.
He said the party’s role outside the Cabinet offers “more clarity to be the voices of the people”, adding that MCA intends to adopt a critical yet mindful stance on national policies.
“We are critical of the government’s policies. At the end of the day the political party is for the people. So, the power will come when we have enough mandate.”
With less than two years remaining before the next general election, Neow urged MCA members not to be disheartened by the Cabinet snub but to focus on internal transformation.
“We need to regain public confidence, public trust so that in the future we can contribute more significantly to the country.”
He called for the strengthening of both MCA and the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
Despite being part of the ruling BN coalition, MCA and its BN partner MIC were again excluded from ministerial posts.
MCA leaders and commentators have voiced concerns about their marginalisation within BN, while MIC even reportedly engaged with Perikatan Nasional about becoming part of the coalition.
Neow stressed that despite the snub, MCA’s current focus should be on rebuilding its grassroots support, reclaiming voter trust and strengthening BN’s unity.
MCA now holds only two parliamentary seats following the 15th general election, both in Johor. Party president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong retained Ayer Hitam while deputy president Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng successfully defended Tanjung Piai.
At the state level, MCA’s presence is similarly limited. It holds one seat in Perak (Chenderiang), two seats in Malacca (Machap Jaya and Klebang) and four seats in Johor (Bekok, Yong Peng, Paloh and Pekan Nanas).
