Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said there were calls from within the party and the public to review MCA’s status after its huge defeat in GE14.
“MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong will chair a party reform committee to look into the matter,” he said.
Liow was speaking at a press conference after the party’s central committee meeting at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
MCA, with about one million members, is part of Barisan Nasional, which ruled the country for the last 61 years until the coalition’s defeat on May 9.
Pakatan Harapan won 113 parliamentary seats against Barisan’s 79 to take over the Federal Government.
MCA only won one parlimentary and two state seats out of the 39 parliamentary and 90 state seats it contested.
Dr Wee is the sole MCA MP now, having retained his Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat, while Teh Chai Ann and Lee Ah Wong won the Titi Tinggi and Cheka state seats, respectively.
Saying that the two-party system had finally arrived, Liow said: “ As the Opposition, we must monitor the new Government.
“If it is good for the people and country, we will support.”
He said MCA would not oppose the government for the sake of opposing.
“Our direction and aim in the last 61 years has been to see a better country for the people,” he said.
On MCA’s upcoming party election to be conducted before the end of the year, Liow said party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan would chair the election steering committee to complete the process for branch, division, state and central level polls.
The elections involve the parent body as well as its Wanita and Youth wings.
MCA was set up as a welfare body on Feb 27, 1949, to look after the Chinese community in what was then a turbulent Malaya.
It later fought alongside Umno and MIC, which represent the Malay and Indian communities respectively, to gain independence for the country.
- The Star -
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