MCA President Datuk Seri Ir Dr Wee Ka Siong’s speech on MCA’s 72nd party anniversary
Good morning, dear comrades! Due to the pandemic, we can only have our 72nd party anniversary celebration online. In the past one year, political instability, the spread of Covid-19 and the pause in economic activities have completely turned the lives of Malaysians upside down. Not only that, it has also changed the way people view politics previously. What we took for granted in the past has become something extraordinary.
Looking back on 2020, no one could have predicted that the resignation of former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir would cause the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government. All of a sudden, Perikatan Nasional became the ruling government and MCA is back in the ruling coalition. Suddenly, we find ourselves in a situation where we are forced to stay indoors unless necessary, while many industries face a difficult and challenging time, with many of them having to transform or face elimination. Some people also lost their job while others are facing different sets of challenges. Be it political transformation or changes due to the impact from the pandemic, we have all learned very sobering lessons. Our country’s political arena has gone through major ups and downs in the past 20 years but what we have been through in the past year is wholly unprecedented.
Last year, the impact from the political chaos within the country, the pandemic and the pause in economic activities had shown us the importance of political parties and our leaders providing the foundation for political stability. At the same time, we have also learned the value and the meaning of MCA being a cornerstone of the country’s political stability.
MCA in the past 72 years has always been the foundation of political stability. Since the day the party was founded as a nation-building political party, we have continued to work with our friends from other ethnic groups to build our country and achieve a new political status in this land for the Chinese community. We have always been able to face the Chinese community and those from other ethnic groups with a clear conscience.
We are problem solvers, not troublemakers; we are the bridge that unites the people, not the ones that divide the communities; we are the builders of economic development, not performers who advocate populism; we create a stable political environment for the people, rather than becoming the source of political turmoil. MCA has never been a troublemaker. With wisdom and strategic approaches, we seek consensus with other parties in the coalition. With mutual respect and understanding, we are here to face the problems, handle the problems, and solve the problems.
Most importantly, MCA has never been a party that creates friction in racial relationships, be it in the past, the present or the future. Just like what our founding president Tun Tan Cheng Lock had always emphasised: MCA’s struggle is not just for the Chinese but for all Malayans.
Dear comrades, MCA is our pride. As party members, we must practise good behaviour and to set a good example. We are to voice out against injustice or unrighteousness and to protect the dignity of our party. Currently, we only have two representatives in Parliament but we will not give up. Instead, we need to rise up and hold on to our principles. It is only through the test of time and comparison, will we see the truth.
Other than that, we must work hard to earn the support from the voters to strengthen our political power in the ruling coalition. We are not to bully our own people, deny the interests of our own community or even worse, betray the community by persecuting the younger generation and stopping them from getting any opportunities to further their studies. On the contrary, as a Chinese-based party, MCA must correct any bureaucratic administrative deviations and defend the interests of the people as protected by the Federal Constitution.
Dear comrades, we must regain the people’s support and persuade the voters to vote for us in order to have more representatives in the political system to voice out on behalf of the Chinese community and those from other ethnic groups. We must show the people the practical works we have accomplished, as compared to the hypocrisy and cunning tactics used by the opposition, in order to rebuild our political power.
MCA must carry on with the mission that we have inherited from our predecessors so that we can continue to be the foundation of political stability in this country. This is also where we are different from our opposition. Here are the three major points:
First, to hold firmly onto our political principles; do not let go of our idealism for the short-term benefits before us.
We must be faithful to the mandate given by the people and our component party members as well as the promises that we have made. We must be THE reliable and trusted political party. We must not pay lip service as it will not bring us far. Instead, we must walk the talk and be consistent with our words and actions.
Political journey is a long journey, whereby everything will be recorded in history. Whether we are remembered as heroes or losers, it is all up to how we behave.
In the past, the contribution of our predecessors had given us the foundation for today. Similarly, we must also contribute to the party for the upcoming generation to be proud of our party and continue to work for the nation and the people. Dear comrades, we all play an important role and we should not look down on ourselves. MCA has a history of over 70 years and it is all built by our party members bit by bit.
Dear comrades, let us work hard to practise and pass on our political ideas. We need to recruit more young people with the same idealism to join us, we need to mentor them and grow them so that we will have new blood to continue this journey for us and fight against politicians and political parties that are hypocritical.
Secondly, strengthen national unity and harmony in ethnic relations.
In order to win votes, some parties have no qualms in destroying interracial harmony and peace by creating misunderstandings and raise tensions, stirring up hatred by pitting one race against another. Once such people have gained the support, they will turn around to please those they have previously demonised.
In the past few years, the rifts and antagonisms in ethnic relations have become increasingly intensified and prominent. Today, when the use of Chinese language is becoming increasingly prevalent, some political parties still believe that the double-faced game is still feasible and continue to manipulate the emotions of the Chinese community. This is because to them, only when the misunderstandings and stand-off between different ethnic groups continue can they garner a larger number of votes.
MCA must remember our political ideas and position since our party was founded, we are the ambassadors of ethnic relations, we are the bridge that unites the people and we are a political party that creates harmony and peace.
When our opponent tries to gain power by creating racial hatred, MCA depends solely on making peace with others. Dear comrades, I would like to ask who is stronger then? In the past, some people commented that MCA members are the good people but they have joined the wrong party. Dear comrades, only when there is comparison, will we be able to tell the difference. We have not joined the wrong party, this is a reliable party in which we can place our trust.
Thirdly, setting economic revival in motion and increasing the people’s income.
With the arrival of vaccines, our nation has officially started the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme. It is believed that very soon the pandemic will slow down and at the same time, we are able to embark on full economic revival and a strong rebound. We must grab this opportunity to focus on reviving economic development and compensating on time lost in the past one year.
Being in the ruling coalition, MCA is playing an active role to remove all obstacles. Through the collaboration between the Ministries of Transport, Finance, and International Trade and Industry, we are able to gather more resources to expedite the execution of various policies. We are working hard to push for post-pandemic economic development and increase the overall income level of the people. This is to ensure that our people will return to the normalcy before the pandemic and enjoy even better lives.
These are the three things that our party needs to focus on in the next one year and we have to mobilise everyone in the party to contribute to our nation like our predecessors and to serve the people. We are to create better living conditions and a better Malaysia for all Malaysians. With the vaccines, we hope we will soon overcome the pandemic but we must remember to always wash our hands, wear face masks and keep practising physical distancing.
Last but not least, I would like to wish MCA “Happy Birthday and forever young”! Here’s wishing all comrades good health and all the best!
-MCA Online-
