Dr M: Vote for a clean leader
Francis Paul Siah, Malaysian Mirror
Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s message to the MCA delegates who will be voting at the EGM tomorrow is a simple but pertinent one – Vote for a clean leader.
“Leaders must be as clean as possible. It is not one’s supporters’ opinion that is important. Public acceptance is far more important,” he told the Malaysian Mirror in an email interview.
Elaborating, the former prime minister said: “Aspirants must try and guess whether public can accept tainted leaders. We have had tainted leaders who appeared to be accepted by the party (that was their claim) but general election results would verify or reject the appearance of support.
Don’t listen to supporters only
Mahathir advised leaders not to delude themselves by censoring negative reports or listening to supporters only.
“In the end, it is whether you win in the general elections that counts,” he stressed.
Mahathir was asked for his comments ahead of the EGM tomorrow where 2,377 MCA delegates will decide the fate of its two top leaders, Ong Tee Keat and Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Both personalities have been described as political ‘fighting cocks’ and the event tomorrow is expected to be played out in similar fashion in a cockfight pit – it’s a duel to the finish where only one is left standing!
And Mahathir’s message to the one left standing tomorrow is this: “MCA may go to greater heights under your leadership but acceptance by Malaysia’s multi-racial voters is more important.”
However, he warned that “MCA can also descend to greater depths as the losing faction refuses to support or even sabotage the leader who won.”
He advised the winner to quickly accommodate those in the losing camp to ensure that the party regain its lost strength and be an “attractive” party again for the Chinese community.
Study thoughts of party founders
Asked what MCA leaders must do to win back Chinese support, Malaysia’s elder statesman replied, “Study history of the party and former leaders and learn from the thoughts and beliefs of the founders. Think of this multi-racial nation, not just of self and party.
“Winning a place in the party is meaningless if the party loses in the election. Other parties too should remember this,” he added.
Mahathir expressed regret that “not much thought is given to the real interest of the Chinese community and certainly not to the Malaysian community by the MCA today.”
This attitude among BN component parties, not just in the MCA, must change if the ruling coalition were to be viable and relevant to Malaysians and the nation in the future.
However, he was confident that the MCA would be able to get back on its feet again if the leaders carry out genuine reforms in the party and get the Chinese interested in the MCA again.
Mahathir also felt that holding an EGM was not the best solution to resolve a party crisis.
“Close door discussion and negotiation is better. If consensus is achieved, that would be best.
“If not the majority support must be respected by the minority,” he added.
Mahathir’s take on the EGM appears to be in line with a Merdeka Centre survey which lists that 27 percent of those polled felt that winning back the support of all Malaysians, not just the Chinese, was the next most important step for the MCA after its EGM tomorrow.
The result of the balloting at the EGM is expected to be known by 2pm.
