MCA service centres closing as they are ineffective now, says Ti

PETALING JAYA: MCA today said its service centres nationwide are closing not because of the lack of funds due to Barisan Nasional's (BN) loss of power in Putrajaya.
The party accepts the decisions of grassroots leaders to close their service centres or to downsize their services as they are mainly administered by volunteers, MCA Publicity spokesman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker (pix) said.
"(They) are accepting that their services will longer be effective since they no longer have access to any Ministry," he said in a statement today.
"MCA service centres are not dependent on BN or the government and as such their closures are not due to BN's loss of federal powers. Thus the implication that MCA service centres were closed because of the lack of funds as a result of BN's loss of power in Putrajaya is incorrect, false and mischievous."
The service centres were formed by the party via their leaders to serve the public and not as reported mischievously "that it is for the Chinese community only", Ti said.
"Our political strength has always been our public services so much that they overshadowed our roles on policy matters and the check and balance within the BN government," he added.
He pointed out that there are basically are three categories of service centres. Firstly, there are the service centres set up by elected MCA MPs and state representatives. "These centres will be closed when they are no longer in the office or voted out as is the case of MPs and Aduns of other parties such as DAP, PKR, etc," he said. "The closure or downsizing of the service centres are only natural events."
Secondly, MCA has service centres set up by local councillors or aspiring candidates in their constituencies. "These are mainly initiatives by the respective leaders with their own funds or support. Similarly, the centres will be closed eventually following the desires of the respective members," Ti said.
Lastly, we have our MCA service centres in our Division or Branch offices, Ti said. "These centres are funded by the said branch without financial assistance from the party or government. However the Division service centres were with some financial assistance from the MCA Headquarters but not from the government," Ti added.
The MCA publicity chief said the grassroots leaders are frustrated that while they were busy rendering services and assistance to the needy in education, welfare and public services; while others were busy playing politics and making provocations on the shortcomings of services rendered.
At the end of the day it was the political players that won the votes over MCA's services rendered, he said.
"Thus many grassroots leaders were disheartened and some are calling it a day, thus the closure of the service centres," Ti said.
"In the past and prior to GE14, other parties in particular DAP will direct constituents having problems to MCA on the basis that MCA is in the government. Today we have lost and we are out of the government.
"It is only natural and timely for a role reversal whereby the Pakatan parties who are governing should emulate MCA in rendering our services diligently to all constituents irrespective of race or political affiliations."
It is pathetic of DAP to continue to play up MCA's closure of some service centres in a distorted manner by misrepresenting that MCA has closed down their centre as a result of failure to obtain government funds, Ti added.