Chong: Parties must take a firm stand or lose support
KUALA LUMPUR: The outcome of the Sabah election has underscored a hard political truth – parties that fail to take a firm stand when it matters most risk being punished at the ballot box, says Datuk Chong Sin Woon.
The MCA secretary-general said that no matter how much grassroots work a party does, it will be overshadowed if it cannot articulate a clear position at crucial moments.
“It’s not that people don’t value service. But they care even more about whether the country is on the right path, whether a party upholds its principles and whether its leaders can safeguard the future,” he said.
Chong said the Sabah polls offered a sharp warning to all political parties.
“When Sabah’s core rights, including the 40% revenue entitlement, demanded clarity, they chose to avoid them.
“Instead of addressing what truly matters to Sabahans, they recycled the worn-out slogan of ‘stability’ and focused on the ministerial posts they hoped to secure,” he added.
He drew comparisons with missteps MCA has made in the past.
“When direction falters, when positions become vague and when moral principles are compromised, no amount of resources can rebuild public trust.
“In politics, the greatest danger isn’t the scandal itself, but refusing to acknowledge it.
“It isn’t the existence of problems, but pretending they do not exist.
“It isn’t making mistakes, but repeating the same mistakes that erodes public confidence,” Chong said in his opening speech at the Wanita MCA general assembly at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
Chong said the Sabah outcome must serve as a reminder for MCA to return to its core political purpose.
“It is a simple principle, yet many parties lose sight of it under the weight of governance and competition.
“That purpose is a clear, steady political direction paired with genuine grassroots service. We cannot afford to neglect either – if one weakens, we will pay the price,” he said.
Chong added that the party is focused on delivering results rather than engaging in political feuds, stressing that voters are more concerned with solutions than slogans.
“MCA must rise above petty exchanges of insults with other parties and refocus on proving its value to the people.
“Decades of verbal sparring with DAP have done little for the country. We must earn public trust through performance, not by inflaming emotions.”
On winning over young voters, Chong said MCA must communicate in a way that resonates with youth and create new economic opportunities, including an ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship.
“We aim to win the support of young Malaysians through practicality and results, not by stirring emotions,” he said.
