A light moment: Delegates reacting to Dr Wee’s speech.
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong drew rapt attention when he cited a famous Andy Lau movie quote to critique the government’s handling of policy feedback, emphasising that MCA consistently acts in the public interest.
Addressing the general assembly, Dr Wee said that while MCA raises issues from a public perspective, it often encounters denial.
“Every time MCA criticises or makes suggestions, we do it from the people’s perspective,” he said, adding that a particular party seems to suffer from “denial syndrome”.
He cited the e-invoicing system, where MCA’s concerns about technical issues and costs were initially dismissed as “betraying one’s own”, yet the government later adjusted the exemption threshold from RM500,000 to RM1mil, proving MCA’s point.
Dr Wee then delivered the quote from the 2004 film Jiang Hu, drawing applause from delegates: “I say but you don’t listen, you listen but you don’t understand, you understand but you don’t do, you do but you do it wrongly, you do it wrongly but don’t admit, you admit but don’t change, you change but you are not convinced – then what do you want to do?”
On subsidised LPG, Dr Wee mentioned similar criticism for opposing enforcement that forced hawkers to use more expensive gas, until the Cabinet granted exemptions, validating MCA’s stance.
He also noted that proposed amendments to the Control of Supplies Act were unnecessary.
“The minister just needs to gazette a decision allowing hawkers to continue using subsidised LPG, and the problem is solved.”
Dr Wee reaffirmed MCA’s commitment to addressing practical issues impacting businesses and the public, even at the risk of initial criticism.
“MCA’s positioning is clear, and our stance has been consistent,” he said, stressing that the concerns raised were valid.
Notably, Singapore’s Manpower Minister Tan See Leng also used the same Cantonese quote in Parliament in March.
