Hudud & MCA's Lost in Transition

MCA President Chua Soi Lek has challenged Dap's Lim Guan Eng to debate on Hudud. The Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement has warned MCA president Chua Soi Lek against challenging DAP secretary-general. 


MCA's insistence to hype up the issue of Hudud has indicated that the party has very limited option and political arsenal to use against it's nemesis. This is not a very positive sign for the party. Under the leadership of Chua, the party has achieved internal stability but the same cannot be said of the party's political fortune.


By harping on the Hudud issue, MCA risks not only continuous alienation from the Chinese voters but also backlash from Muslim leaders and groups such as Abim, Perkasa and some crucial conservative Muslim-Malay voters. Instead of scaring Chinese voters away from supporting the very dominant Dap, the party might find the double edged sword cutting deep on it's side.


MCA's lack of strategy is symptomatic of a lack of political ideas and depth within the party's leadership. Chua may be a respected leader within his party but his leadership has very little to show in it's ability to attract young talents into his party.


A party insider lamented that the party is recycling old leaders who are way past their political relevance in states such as Perak, Penang and Selangor/Klang Valley. He said that leaders who were not made candidates in the last elections are now back in favour due to lack of choice and willing candidates.


Such perception does not augur well for the party. Without seriously addressing issues that are important to the voters, there is little hope for MCA's revival and eventual electoral triumph. MCA's internal stability should not be misconstrued as the revival of the party's support base among the voters especially in urban constituencies.


MCA must find it's strength through the right political positioning. It's main weakness and severest criticism has been it's inability to punch beyond it's weight within the Barisan Nasional government. The party has very little influence over policy making.


MCA cannot and should not seek solace in Hudud or Dap's cosy relationship with Pas in Pakatan. Dap had severed it's relationship with Pas post 1999 general elections when the Hudud issue was effectively capitalized by MCA and Gerakan to scare away Chinese voters from supporting the party.


It is unlikely going to work again in the 2012 general elections. 


The key issue is UMNO's over dominance and a lack of ability to institute and carry out real reform to curb several crucial and acute political and structural discrepancies in the political, social and economic structures. 


MCA must find a unique position within this new dynamic and proved to the voters that it can use it's political leverage against UMNO when required to push for more progressive policies and real reforms. 


So far, there is very little to suggest that the party leadership understand this need. The party has chosen to put all eggs into the Hudud basket which may yield zero results/benefit to the party. 


For immediate action to stop the slip, the party should stand accountable for it's leaders' involvement in the PKFZ fiasco. It should initiate a dialogue with UMNO on how to balance the latter's overzealous race affirmative position against the need to push for a real 1Malaysia and Bangsa Malaysia. 


MCA should provide a strong leadership in Barisan's economic policy and direction like the party used to do during the early inception of Alliance. It's role in this area is even more pronounce in the current global economic climate and amidst Malaysia's losing economic competitiveness and a sense of direction. 


MCA must prove to the voters that it has an important role to play in an effective two coalition system. 


The party must find it's bearing quickly or risk being totally decimated in the next general elections.