PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional suffered a huge defeat in the May 9 general election because its leaders lacked integrity while those in power had grown arrogant, according to new MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.
He said MCA did not work hard enough and there were many shortcomings in the party.
“MCA failed at listening to the pulse of the people and as a result, lost touch with the Chinese community and the young generation. For this, voters have loudly told us we have erred through the ballot.
“We must accept their decision, we must listen, and we must reflect on our mistakes,“ he said at his policy speech during the party’s 65th Annual General Meeting today.
He pointed out that this was a make-or-break situation for the party and that its actions would determine MCA’s standing for the times to come.
“If we are passive, MCA will be passive. If we exert ourselves to grow, MCA will be reinvigorated. Each and every one of us holds the pen to write the fate of MCA. If we want a role in it, we need to lift ourselves up and be proactive in keeping up with the times,“ the incoming party president said.
Wee said the public was most concerned about the economy as their income directly affect their spending ability – the amount of money in their pockets can accurately predict the election outcomes.
He said Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) biggest weakness was going back on its promises and introducing “u-turns” to a number of its policies.
He cited the examples of the continuous operation of the National Civics Bureau despite PH’s earlier promise to shut it down, the change of concept in the 20% royalty for oil-producing states, prices of goods not decreasing as promised, the ringgit not stabilising, the Unified Education Certificate (UEC) yet to be recognised.
He said with six months under PH rule the pockets are empty and Pakatan can no longer brush the people aside with excuses like “the government coffers are empty” or “it’s all Barisan Nasional’s fault”.
Wee said MCA needs to reach out to the people and listen to their grouses, the party also needs to master their lingo and then chart a discourse in our language.
“We must understand that people can directly feel the economic situation of the country. Once we can get in tune with their concerns and thoughts on the economy, we can speak their opinions on their behalf and strike a chord with the people,“ he added.
