After 7 decades with Umno, loyal ally MCA mulls over going separate ways

Move comes amid grassroots' grumbles of being jilted in favour of rival party DAP

- Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR - Ongoing divisional meetings of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) are set to decide if the founding member of Malaysia's longest-ruling alliance will move to part ways with Umno at the party's annual general assembly, expected as soon as October.

This comes amid grumbles by MCA grassroots of being jilted by Umno - the dominant force in the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition - in favour of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is currently far more popular among the ethnic Chinese electorate.

DAP has the most seats - 40 - in Parliament of any ruling party and is a key member of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance, which leads a multi-coalition government that includes BN.

MCA and DAP previously clashed in seats with a significant Chinese electorate but MCA has only two MPs.

BN chief and Umno president Zahid Hamidi is also deputy premier in the so-called unity government formed after the November 2022 General Election resulted in a hung Parliament.

A divorce between Umno and MCA will have wide ramifications in Malaysia's swiftly shifting political landscape, by undercutting BN's multiracial outlook.

Further, should MCA form a pact with the largely Malay-Muslim nationalist Perikatan Nasional (PN), it will bolster the opposition coalition's own aspirations to be more representative of Malaysia's ethnic diversity.

The Straits Times has learnt that MCA president Wee Ka Siong told top leaders to use the divisional meetings that began on June 1 to propose whether it should remain in BN and on what terms.

When contacted, Datuk Seri Wee confirmed that divisional delegate assemblies will "talk about the future and direction of the party", although he refused to "anticipate or make a conclusion now" on what the 191 MCA divisions nationwide will propose.