Closure of service centres not related to funding: MCA

PETALING JAYA: MCA 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 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.