A former MCA vice-president, Ti Lian Ker, has cautioned that ongoing indecision among the party’s top leadership risks alienating its grassroots members. In a Facebook post on September 6, 2025, Ti criticized MCA for being caught in a “cycle of procrastination” regarding its future within Barisan Nasional (BN), with decisions repeatedly deferred from divisional to state delegates and now to central delegates at the party’s annual general meeting in October.
In contrast, Ti noted that MIC has taken decisive steps, asserting its autonomy and forging its own political path without waiting for MCA’s lead. “Discontent is growing among members who feel MCA’s leadership is playing it too safe,” he wrote. “If leaders fail to act decisively, grassroots members may chart their own course, leaving the central leadership struggling to catch up. This is already evident, with several MCA Youth leaders defecting to other parties.”
Ti also claimed that Umno, a key BN component, is no longer waiting for coalition consensus to make significant decisions and is instead strengthening ties with DAP. “MCA, meanwhile, remains confined to its own corner. The game may be over before they even take a shot,” he said. “In politics, there’s no final whistle, and delays often carry the heaviest cost.”
In June, MCA President Wee Ka Siong announced that the party’s 191 divisions would deliberate on its future amid frustration over its limited influence in the government, with proposals to be presented at the October annual general meeting.
Meanwhile, MIC has expressed readiness to collaborate with any political party to ensure its survival and better serve the Indian community. However, BN Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated that neither MCA nor MIC’s top leaders had discussed leaving the coalition with him.
Earlier today, reports emerged that MIC Deputy Youth Chief K. Kesavan attended the Bersatu Youth wing’s annual general meeting, marking the first official invitation extended to his party. This development suggests that Perikatan Nasional is actively courting both MCA and MIC to join its ranks.
