UMNO – Last Man Standing?
Signs are clear that BN is slowing breaking apart. Most of the key component parties in the coalition are facing internal crisis. The crisis was a pent up frustration generated from the last general election in 2008.
The new MCA leadership under the much respected Ong Tee Keat has to carry the party's past baggage which has developed into some ugly controversies for himself. The PKFZ scandal is a make or break for Ong. He should be applauded for supporting a release of the PwC audit report which has implicated several BN politicians and exposed gross mismanagement of the free zone.
However, the public will judge him based on the actions that will soon be taken against the perpetrators. Based on several high profile exposes in the past, the public is growing sceptical of the government's ability and willingness to haul up those whose were implicated in the scandals – V.K Lingam, Kugan, IPCMC et cetera.
Ong has urged the government to take a stern action against those who were allegedly involved in the PKFZ fiasco which may cost the public more than RM12 billion over the next 30 years. However, Ong should be reminded that he is part of the government too and a number of personalities named in the report were leaders of his party.
MCA crisis is deeper than merely the PKFZ scandal. Until now, the new leadership has yet to inspire a turnaround for the party. The Bukit Gantang by-election was a good indication for MCA on the level of Chinese community support it is currently enjoying. Anything below 50 percent should be taken as a crisis for the party. In that by-election, BN only managed less than 20 percent of Chinese votes.
