PETALING JAYA: Time to move on and don't be so narrow-minded.
That was the response by Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) to raised eye-brows from certain members within the unity government regarding his recent appointment as the investment advisor for the Chinese community.
The MCA president said while the announcement of his appointment by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during the MCA annual general assembly on Oct 20 took him by surprise, it was something the party has been working towards for a long time.
"I could only respond with a smile at the time as the Barisan Nasional chairman had not informed me or hinted about the appointment to me.
"However, the question of whether to accept or reject this position does not even arise," he said on Facebook on Friday (Oct 25).
Dr Wee said however that he was baffled that, suddenly, this week, a few non-Barisan MPs have raised this issue in Parliament.
"They seem to show a lot of interest, which is quite amusing for me.
"I am also disappointed as to why they are so curious about such matters," he said.
Dr Wee said that the party has been promoting closer ties between Malaysia and China for years.
"The MCA-CCP memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in 2014 to strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries, and we do this for the benefit of the country and its people," he said.
He said MCA was ready to serve the people and if national leaders or anyone has confidence that MCA can assist them in any field, they would do their utmost to help.
"In fact, back in March last year, when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim invited me to join his delegation on a visit to China, I paid for my own travel expenses and willingly joined the delegation.
"However, upon my return, I was heavily criticized by MPs from DAP. What did I do wrong?" he said.
He added that earlier in September this year, he was invited by Ahmad Zahid on a trip to Shanghai to meet with Chinese entrepreneurs interested in investing in Malaysia’s halal industry.
"During that visit, the Deputy Prime Minister casually announced in Shanghai that I was his advisor and requested that I respond to some foreign investors’ questions in Mandarin.
"When Malaysian journalists in Shanghai asked me about the details of this appointment, I mentioned that, as the MCA president, my position is already sufficient for me to serve the country and the people.
"No other title is necessary. I will continue to serve as MCA president.
"So, if any national leader believes I can contribute as MCA president, I feel compelled and will voluntarily do my best to assist and fulfil my duties," he said.
He said he was also grateful for the trust and recognition from everyone, and the Deputy Prime Minister, towards him and MCA.
"However, I would like to emphasise that as the MCA president, I feel called to continue leveraging the relationships and platforms we have built over the years with various levels of the Chinese government.
"We will continue our long-term efforts to promote friendship, close relations between Malaysia and China, and enhance cooperation and exchanges in various fields, especially to achieve mutual benefits under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as long as it brings good to Malaysians," he said.
