MCA leader hits out at ‘DAP spokesman’ Lokman

Party vice-president Ti Lian Ker reminds Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Adam that criticising MCA and MIC would only further embarrass Barisan Nasional.

(FMT) – MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker has urged Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Adam to cease his attacks on allies in Barisan Nasional, saying he sounded like a mouthpiece for DAP instead.

Ti said this in response to a report by Malaysia Gazette in which Lokman had described MIC and MCA as liabilities for what he called their “continuous failure to secure votes” for BN.

Lokman had also alleged that MCA president Wee Ka Siong and MIC deputy president M Saravanan had “betrayed” BN by signing statutory declarations to back Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin to become the prime minister after the 15th general election (GE15) last November.

Ti said any criticism by Lokman against MCA and MIC would only further embarrass the coalition.

Yesterday, MIC information chief R Thinalan also hit out at Lokman’s remarks, suggesting that if the latter views MIC as a burden, he should seek a resolution from BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to boot MIC out of the coalition.

In a statement, Ti said BN’s defeat was influenced by several factors, including the shift of support from the Chinese and Indian communities due to DAP’s narrative of equality and the elimination of Bumiputera privileges.

“The Alliance Party, originally founded on principles of diversity and secularism, was replaced by BN, which adopted a more nationalist and Malay-centric approach,” Ti said.

He added that DAP had even pushed a narrative that portrayed Umno as a party of “thieves and robbers” while criticising MCA and MIC for their perceived failure to defend the Chinese and Indian communities and their alleged subservience to Umno.

Ti pointed out that Pakatan Harapan ran election campaigns in the past with the theme of “Who supports the robbers” just to gain votes, and that this not only referred to MCA but also Umno and its leaders.

“Anyway, congratulations to DAP, as they now have Lokman as their spokesman,” Ti said.

“From ‘No DAP’, Lokman has become a defender and spokesman for DAP. Now who is the real traitor?”