Malaysian Chinese Association
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Malaysian Chinese Association
Persatuan Cina Malaysia |
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| Leader | Ong Ka Ting |
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| Founded | February 27, 1949 |
| Headquarters | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Newspaper | The Guardian |
| Youth wing | MCA Youth Section |
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| Ideology | Nationalism, Centrism, Conservatism |
| National affiliation | Barisan Nasional |
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| Website http://www.mca.org.my/ |
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Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) (traditional Chinese: 馬來西亞華人公會; simplified Chinese: 马来西亚华人公会; pinyin: Mǎláixīyà Huárén Gōnghuì; Cantonese: MaLoiSaiYa WahYen KoongWui; Malay: Persatuan Cina Malaysia) is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnic, is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional (BN) in Malay, or National Front in English.
Along with the largest and third largest component party in BN, i.e. United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), MCA has a strong influence over the political arena in Malaysia. Through its substantial holding of companies such as Huaren Holdings, MCA also controls five other significant media press companies, i.e. The Star, being Malaysia's best-selling English language newspaper; Sin Chew Jit Pao, Nanyang Siang Pau, and China Press, being three of the best-selling Chinese newspapers in Kuala Lumpur and Central Region of West Malaysia; and Guang Ming Daily being a smaller press in northern West Malaysia. Over the years, the domination of media press caused major resentments in the sub-divided party, namely Team B of MCA and the press reporters for breaching the Freedom of the Press in the country.
Since independance, Democratic Action Party (DAP) which is a multi-racial opposition party in Malaysia poses as the biggest rival to MCA. Like MIC, MCA performed weakly in the last election, 2008 by having majority leaders lost in the contest. Among them are Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, former Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Tan Chai Ho and etc. Being the party chairman, Datuk Seri Ong did not seek any cabinet or ministerial post but to commit himself in restoring the party.
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[edit] History
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[edit] Formation
The Malaysian Chinese Association was formed on February, 27 1949 as the Malayan Chinese Association by the Kuomintang (KMT) members as an alternative and also in opposition to the Malayan Communist Party. This formation was with the implicit support by post-World War II British Reoccupation Authority.
The first leaders of the MCA were Kuomintang army leaders. Mr Leong Yew Koh, was a KMT major general who became a cabinet minister and later became governor of Malacca; Malaysia's first minister of finance, Tun Henry H.S. Lee, was a colonel; and Dr Lim Chong Eu, the leader of the Radical Party, and joined the MCA in 1952, was a colonel (medical) doctor in the Kuomintang.
At that time, the MCA members then were divided according to their respective home states. Tun Tan Cheng Lock, who was a member of the Malayan Anti-Japanese League, was its inaugural president. Tun Tan Cheng Lock did not enter the cabinet on independence. This was believed to be because his rival, Tun H.S. Lee, from Selangor, was in. Others thought that this was due to health reasons.
[edit] Post-May 1969 riots
The third Malaysian general elections were held on May 10, 1969. Of the 33 parliamentary seats contested, the Malaysian Chinese Association managed only to retain 13. The MCA lost control of the Penang State Government. In 1974, Tan Siew Sin resigned from all of his party and government posts on April 8 for "health reasons".
[edit] The new generation
The new generation MCA leaders understood the struggles of their previous leaders and uphold the party's mission and vision for a united and prosperous Malaysia for all. The cooperation within the National Front (Barisan Nasional) coalition by all parties is based on moderation and respect for each other; which is the foundation for a strong government.
In the last few years, MCA has also formed MCA Lifelong Learning, headed by Quek Ngee Meng. There is also a MCA Lifelong Learning Reading Club.
[edit] Post-2008 General Elections Self-Analysis
Ong Ka Ting in March 2008 after the National Front mediocre performance at the General Election said that the MCA should reinvent itself. An obvious direction would be to turn into a multi-ethnic party like the Gerakan and PPP but that would mean a Malaysian Citizens Association rather than a Malaysian Chinese Association. The party might still have a pro-Chinese agenda, but it would be increasing open to representing the other ethnic groups including Malays, Indians, Eurasians, Orang Asli, Dayaks and other races.
[edit] Controversies
On January 1, 2008, The former party vice president Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek admitted that he was the person featured in a sex DVD that was circulated in Johor. He claimed no involvement in the filming or production of the DVD in question, further stating that he would not resign over the scandal, instead leaving it up to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide whether to allow him to continue holding his position.[4] On January 2, 2008, he formally announced his resignation from all posts including Member of Parliament for Labis, Vice Presidency of the MCA, and as Health Minister at a press conference.[5]
In the same month, MCA leader Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun warned her Chinese voters for not letting fewer MCA representatives happen in Barisan Nasional in order to prevent another May 13, 1969 riot from happening. This has caused a major resentment in the Chinese community as their smaller existence in the Barisan Nasional coalition are told to cause a new riot to break out. [1]
[edit] List of presidents
- Tun Tan Cheng Lock (27 February 1949 to March 1958)
- Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu (March 1958 to July 1959)
- Dr. Cheah Toon Lok (acting) (July 1959 to November 1961)
- Tun Tan Siew Sin (November 1961 to April 1974)
- Tan Sri Lee San Choon (April 1974 to March 1983)
- Datuk Dr. Neo Yee Pan (acting) (March 1983 to November 1985)
- Tan Koon Swan (November 1985 to September 1986)
- Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik (September 1986 to May 2003)
- Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting (May 2003 to Present)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Chin, James (2006). "New Chinese Leadership in Malaysia: The Contest for the MCA and Gerakan Presidency". Contemporary Southeast Asia (CSEA), Vol. 28, No. 1 (April 2006).
- Chin, James (2000). "A New Balance: The Chinese Vote in the 1999 Malaysian General Election". South East Asia Research 8 (3), 281–299.
- Chin, James (2001). "Malaysian Chinese Politics in the 21st Century: Fear, Service and Marginalisaton". Asian Journal of Political Science 9 (2), 78–94.
- Goh, Cheng Teik (1994). Malaysia: Beyond Communal Politics. Pelanduk Publications. ISBN 967-978-475-4.
- "National Front parties were not formed to fight for Malaysian independence". Malaysia Today. by Pillai, M.G.G. (Nov. 3, 2005)
[edit] External links
- Malaysian Chinese Association — official site
