Ready for battle: Dr Wee (centre) in a group photo with MCA and other Barisan leaders. With him are (from second left) MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon, vice-presidents Datuk Tan Teik Cheng, Datuk Lawrence Low and Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng, secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon, Sabah Wanita Umno chief Datuk Noraini Idris, Teah and deputy president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah MCA is joining the fray in the coming state election under the Barisan Nasional banner, but is keeping details close to its chest on how many seats it plans to contest.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the party had tasted victory in Sabah before and could do so again, despite consecutive defeats since 2018.
“For the last few years, we’ve been strengthening our organisation, and the team has done a good job, especially in areas we intend to contest,” he said after opening the Sabah MCA annual general meeting here yesterday.
Dr Wee added that MCA leaders and members had been working tirelessly on the ground to rebuild trust and support.
While confirming that MCA would contest, he declined to disclose the number of seats or constituencies, saying it was too early to reveal.
Dr Wee said the decision would ultimately rest with the Sabah MCA team after discussions with him and the central leadership.
He also revealed that Sabah MCA already had candidates lined up, chosen for their quality, rapport with the grassroots and service to the party.
He said MCA and Barisan could cooperate with other parties in the state government but reminded that politics often turned allies into rivals once elections were called.
Sabah MCA chief Datuk Teah Heok Kuin struck an optimistic note, saying the party remained relevant and had the support base to stage a comeback.
Teah said if all members worked together in unity, victory under Barisan would be within reach.
Earlier this year, Teah identified Segama as MCA’s top priority, followed by Tanjong Kapor and Karamunting.
However, the battleground is shaping up to be complicated, with Sabah Pakatan Harapan forging a seat-sharing deal with Barisan and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), even as Barisan and GRS insist they will not work together.
On another matter, Dr Wee said former MCA president Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek never called for the party to leave Barisan.
He said there had been a misinterpretation of Dr Chua’s remarks during an interview with Malaysiakini last month, stressing that Dr Chua’s comments could have been taken out of context.
“That’s why I was surprised when it was reported that Dr Chua told MCA not to contest. I watched the Malaysiakini interview and I also spoke to Tan Sri.
“I think what you (the reporter) said is different from what he actually said,” Dr Wee said after the event.
Dr Wee, who is the Ayer Hitam MP, said his understanding of Dr Chua’s remarks was that “if MCA had no more place, then why still stand there”.
“But he also said it’s up to the leadership to decide. So no, I don’t think it was presented in the right context.
“The quote was incomplete,” Dr Wee stressed, adding that Dr Chua had also pointed out that in politics “one day is too long”.
Dr Wee also urged the public to rewatch the video interview, denying claims that Dr Chua had asked MCA to pull out of Barisan.
“That is not what Dr Chua said,” he insisted.
Last month, Dr Chua was quoted as saying MCA should leave Barisan if barred from contesting seats it had previously lost twice, under a rule that reserved constituencies for incumbent parties in the next general election.
