KUALA LUMPUR: The political tide may be turning after the recent Sabah state election, but MCA will not automatically benefit from any backlash against its rivals unless it finds a new “winning formula” and clear positioning, says party deputy president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon.
Speaking at the opening of MCA Youth 26th Central Delegates 3rd General Assembly on Saturday (Dec 6), he cautioned party members against reading the Sabah outcome as an automatic boost for MCA.
He said MCA was a “mature and responsible party” that would not gloat just because it suffered a smaller setback than others.
“We will not think we have ‘won’ just because others have suffered a heavier setback.
“We also will not stand on stage and play with words endlessly, or spin and sweet-talk without any bottom line,” he said.
He added that the real task was to understand the shift in voter sentiment and respond with substance rather than rhetoric.
Dr Mah noted that many party workers had just returned from campaigning in Sabah, and said the outcome had clearly shown that past assumptions about “vote banks” and “fixed deposits” were no longer relevant.
“Once, people said East Malaysia was Barisan Nasional’s vote bank. Later events overturned that theory.
“People also used to say Chinese voters were a fixed base for certain parties. But the latest results show the situation has changed,” he said.
Dr Mah said MCA members had to be realistic and responsible in how they read the changing landscape.
"We believe in evidence and careful analysis. We should not assume that anything unfavourable to our traditional opponents will automatically be favourable to us.
“We must also ask ourselves: With new forces, new developments and a new political configuration, are we ready to face a new, stronger tide?
"Even if a big wave against the current government has begun to form, have we prepared ourselves to ride that wave?” he said.
Dr Mah noted that the next general election would likely be more complex and challenging than previous contests, with more players and more variables in the field.
“Whether, in this rising tide, we become drowning victims or the ones who ride the waves depends on our understanding and preparation now,” he said.
Dr Mah acknowledged that the party had suffered four consecutive general election setbacks and said this raised hard questions that could not be avoided.
“A harsh reality we must face is this: how long are we going to keep losing? No war has ever been won just because enough people were sacrificed,” he said.
“To win, we must find a new victory equation and a new positioning. This is something the entire party must reflect on deeply.”
He said Malaysians were tired of “flashy but empty slogans” and political promises that were never fulfilled.
“The people are already weary of grand but hollow slogans and political promises that are postponed indefinitely.
“If we can first build consensus within the party, then the public will start to regain confidence in us,” he said.
