KUALA LUMPUR: the Selangor MCA convention has called for greater autonomy in deciding its election strategy and seat allocations, while its Federal Territories counterpart resolved that the party should not enter into political alignment or electoral cooperation with DAP.
The resolutions were passed at the MCA Selangor and Federal Territories conventions held simultaneously with other states on Wednesday (Sept 16), amid preparations for the 16th General Election (GE16).
The Selangor convention urged the MCA central leadership to give state liaison committees greater autonomy and flexibility in formulating election strategies and allocating seats based on local circumstances.
It also called for the views of state liaison committees and divisions to be respected in candidate selection.
Another resolution urged Barisan Nasional to contest GE16 under its own banner to restore its independence and uphold its founding political values, including pluralism, moderation, democracy and secularism.
It also called on Barisan to broaden its support base and rebuild public confidence.
Selangor MCA chairman Datuk Lawrence Low said the state chapter was sharpening its preparations through its "3A" framework – Assessment, Alignment and Action.
"This involved reviewing the organisation, local issues and past performance, aligning the state, divisions and party wings and turning discussions into sustained local service, policy research and community work.
"Political conditions will change, alliances will change and the issues that voters care about will change. In such circumstances, we must ensure that we are prepared," he said in his opening speech.
The Selangor resolutions also addressed several state-specific issues, including pig farming and non-Muslim houses of worship.
The convention also called for consultation with pig farmers and industry operators, fair compensation and assistance for affected farmers and a reasonable transition period as the state implements changes to its pig-farming industry.
It also called for a comprehensive review of guidelines on non-Muslim houses of worship, with broader consultation with religious groups and constitutional freedom of religion as the guiding principle.
The other Selangor resolutions covered party affairs, taxation and the business environment, education including recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), healthcare and elderly care, online scams and financial crimes, as well as foreign workers and border controls.
Meanwhile, the Federal Territories convention, which was chaired by its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng, called on MCA's central leadership to uphold the party's political identity and autonomy and formulate a clear electoral strategy before GE16.
It resolved that MCA should not enter into any political alignment or electoral cooperation with DAP and its political coalition, while upholding the party's core values and principles.
The convention also called for the restoration of local government elections and direct election of the Kuala Lumpur mayor.
It proposed an independent professional committee to oversee Kuala Lumpur's flood mitigation and major infrastructure projects, including regular disclosure of project progress, costs and implementation status.
Its other resolutions covered youth leadership succession, grassroots funding, enforcement against illegal businesses involving foreign nationals, tax and levy reforms, urban poverty and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
