MCA struggles over break with Madani: Stay with BN or go solo?
Published: Jun 23, 2025 12:40 PM
Updated: 2:40 PM
Summary
- MCA is preparing to disassociate itself from the Madani government. But there’s indecision on whether to quit BN too.
- Sticking with BN could ensure continued Malay support from Umno and that MCA maintains its two Parliament seats at least.
- However, MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon says the party can always contest solo if the seats offered to it are not satisfactory.
A struggle is shaping within MCA over the path the party must take to survive the next general election.
While the end goal is clear - for MCA to no longer align itself with the Madani administration - there is discord on whether or not to remain with BN.
Former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker claimed that almost all MCA divisions agreed that the party should quit the Madani government while remaining part of BN.
“We (MCA) don’t want to be burdened by the promises made by the Madani government because we are not in (cabinet) now,” he told the media after the Kuantan MCA division AGM yesterday.
Hence, he is demanding that the MCA leadership act on an alleged political bureau decision in May for the party to quit the Madani government.
However, MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon, who officiated the same event yesterday, denied that the political bureau made such a suggestion.
Chong said while the bureau did have an in-depth discussion on MCA’s future, it neither decided to quit the Madani government nor BN.
MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon
Instead, he said, party divisions are being given room to make their stances known for the leadership to consider.
Divvying up the seats
The main issue at hand for MCA is its future participation in elections and representation in Parliament.
Currently, Madani’s two main coalitions in the peninsula - Pakatan Harapan and BN - have an agreement that when it comes to elections, the incumbent parties will defend their existing seats.
BN’s linchpin party, Umno, is keen to maintain a partnership with Harapan in the next general election to reverse the party’s continued decline since 2018.
However, this arrangement doesn’t favour MCA, which only has two parliamentary seats. The seats it used to hold in the past are mostly now held by DAP.
As Ti puts it, there’ll be no room for MCA if the status quo is maintained.
Instead, he said, party divisions are being given room to make their stances known for the leadership to consider.
Divvying up the seats
The main issue at hand for MCA is its future participation in elections and representation in Parliament.
Currently, Madani’s two main coalitions in the peninsula - Pakatan Harapan and BN - have an agreement that when it comes to elections, the incumbent parties will defend their existing seats.
BN’s linchpin party, Umno, is keen to maintain a partnership with Harapan in the next general election to reverse the party’s continued decline since 2018.
However, this arrangement doesn’t favour MCA, which only has two parliamentary seats. The seats it used to hold in the past are mostly now held by DAP.
As Ti puts it, there’ll be no room for MCA if the status quo is maintained.
Former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker
“Under the current formula, all seats won by DAP will be defended by them, so what is left for us?” he asked.
Reliance on Malay support
Splitting from Madani will give MCA room to contest against DAP in non-Malay majority seats.
However, MCA’s Chinese support has dwindled significantly since 2008, and the two seats it currently holds are both in constituencies where more than 50 percent of the electorate are Malay.
This reliance on Malay support is likely a key consideration for MCA’s pro-BN camp, as alienating Umno could lead to MCA being wiped out in the next general election.
For Ti, remaining with BN also keeps the door open for MCA to contest in other Malay seats.
“We want to maintain the spirit of BN, that there is compromise in determining which party contests which seat.
“Like Chinese majority seats, BN will give way to MCA, and for MCA to also be given the chance to contest in some Malay majority seats,” he said.
Going solo
However, getting concessions from Umno, which itself is struggling to remain relevant among Malay voters, will be difficult.
Contesting against Umno’s allies in Harapan also does not guarantee Umno support in an MCA vs DAP contest.
Perhaps cognisant of this, leaders like Chong are laying the foundations for MCA to go solo in the next election instead.
Speaker at the Indera Mahkota MCA division AGM yesterday before his appearance in Kuantan, Chong told party members not to worry about how many seats it would get to contest.
“If we fail to strike a deal and MCA does not get any seats, or is allocated too few, the party can contest on its own as long as we have the letter of authorisation signed by the party president.
“So, there’s no need to ask, and no need to worry about how many seats will be left for us - we have made this very clear,” he said.
Whether MCA sticks with BN or not, the road ahead will be tough.
While sentiment against DAP - and Harapan in general - among non-Malays is on the rise due to dissatisfaction with the Madani government over perceptions they are abandoning their base, there’s no indication yet that such voters will swing to MCA.
“Under the current formula, all seats won by DAP will be defended by them, so what is left for us?” he asked.
Reliance on Malay support
Splitting from Madani will give MCA room to contest against DAP in non-Malay majority seats.
However, MCA’s Chinese support has dwindled significantly since 2008, and the two seats it currently holds are both in constituencies where more than 50 percent of the electorate are Malay.
This reliance on Malay support is likely a key consideration for MCA’s pro-BN camp, as alienating Umno could lead to MCA being wiped out in the next general election.
For Ti, remaining with BN also keeps the door open for MCA to contest in other Malay seats.
“We want to maintain the spirit of BN, that there is compromise in determining which party contests which seat.
“Like Chinese majority seats, BN will give way to MCA, and for MCA to also be given the chance to contest in some Malay majority seats,” he said.
Going solo
However, getting concessions from Umno, which itself is struggling to remain relevant among Malay voters, will be difficult.
Contesting against Umno’s allies in Harapan also does not guarantee Umno support in an MCA vs DAP contest.
Perhaps cognisant of this, leaders like Chong are laying the foundations for MCA to go solo in the next election instead.
Speaker at the Indera Mahkota MCA division AGM yesterday before his appearance in Kuantan, Chong told party members not to worry about how many seats it would get to contest.
“If we fail to strike a deal and MCA does not get any seats, or is allocated too few, the party can contest on its own as long as we have the letter of authorisation signed by the party president.
“So, there’s no need to ask, and no need to worry about how many seats will be left for us - we have made this very clear,” he said.
Whether MCA sticks with BN or not, the road ahead will be tough.
While sentiment against DAP - and Harapan in general - among non-Malays is on the rise due to dissatisfaction with the Madani government over perceptions they are abandoning their base, there’s no indication yet that such voters will swing to MCA.
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