DAP strategic director and Iskandar Puteri MP Liew Chin Tong has questioned whether MCA would once again support Perikatan Nasional (PN) if the 16th general election (GE16) results in a hung Parliament similar to the situation after GE15 in 2022.
Liew said MCA president Wee Ka Siong had previously signed a statutory declaration supporting then PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin in an attempt to form the federal government following the last general election.
He also noted that Wee had consistently advocated for Barisan Nasional (BN) to contest GE16 independently, a move that could potentially trigger three-cornered fights involving PN and BN’s current ally, Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Liew raises concern over MCA’s political direction
Liew said Wee believed a three-way contest would allow MCA to field candidates in more constituencies instead of being limited to defending its two incumbent seats.
‘Since this MCA president has chosen to bring up this issue, and given that he is one of the strongest proponents of a three-cornered fight, he has to make clear whether he will support the now PAS-led PN in forming the government should the political situation of 2022 recur,’ Liew said in a Facebook post.
He added that voters deserved clarity on MCA’s political position.
‘At least by being honest, voters can know what MCA stands for,’ he said.
Wee defends MCA’s post-GE15 decision
Liew was responding to reports quoting Wee as defending MCA’s decision to support PN after GE15 produced no clear majority for any coalition to form the government.
Wee, a former minister, said he signed the statutory declaration due to the ‘chaotic’ political circumstances at the time and because Umno had initially rejected cooperation with PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim and DAP.
GE15 concluded with PH securing 82 parliamentary seats, followed by PN with 74 seats, BN with 30, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) with 23, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) with six seats.
A minimum of 112 seats is required to form the federal government.
MCA won only two parliamentary seats
MCA secured only two parliamentary seats in GE15, including Ayer Hitam, where Wee retained the constituency for a fifth term.
Despite statutory declarations signed by MCA leaders and several BN MPs in support of PN, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi later decided that the coalition would support Anwar in forming the unity government together with GPS and GRS.
