Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is in favour of direct membership into BN. - Picture by Jack Ooi
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said today he backed the idea of direct membership into Barisan Nasional (BN) but the MIC continues to stop short of fully endorsing the plan which could bring an end to the coalition’s requirement for consensus.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced last week that BN would hold a convention by the end of the year to amend its constitution and allow direct membership of NGOs, individuals and other political parties.
The amendments will see a review of the requirement for consensus among its component parties to accept new members. The requirement, put up when BN succeeded the Alliance in 1974, worked in the early years but is now seen as a hindrance to widen its coalition and membership leading to unprecedented losses in Election 2008. Dr Chua told The Malaysian Insider today that MCA’s presidential council meeting this Friday will discuss the proposal, which he said he was personally in full support of.
“Personally, I’m in favour of it. Why should it (membership) be exclusive? When we want to admit members it could also be NGOs. There’s no harm in wanting to include groups that support BN,” said the MCA deputy leader.
He pointed out that any proposal to admit new members into BN should be approved by a majority of existing component parties.
“I do not agree that if you want to admit a member, a decision must be unanimous. The decision should be based on a majority instead.”
Dr. Chua’s remarks are likely to add pressure on MIC who have always used the consensus requirement to deny entry into BN to other Indian-based parties.
MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu was forced to issue a denial this week that his party was opposed to the direct membership proposal.
Samy Vellu said the party would assist and support Najib in strengthening the coalition.
He added that the MIC would discuss the proposal “behind closed doors” and would participate actively in the discussion “when the time comes”. “The MIC’s official stand with regards to the direct membership proposal is that we did not reject it at any point of time. I want this to be clearly understood by all quarters,” he added.
Other MIC leaders also appear to be caught in a bind over the proposal. While the party does not want to be seen as publicly opposing Najib’s proposal, it does not want to lose its monopoly as the only Indian representative in BN.
“We are comfortable with the current system of affliation, naturally we do not want to see the boat rocked,” said national Putera MIC coordinator P. Kamalanathan to the Malaysian Insider.
Kamalanathan said, however, that while MIC was comfortable with the current system, it does not mean that the party did not welcome Najib’s initiatives for change.
“We are not outright objecting to the proposal. It is unfair to make any decision or statement before studying the Prime Minister’s proposal properly. That is something that we will do.
“We are not against BN allowing direct membership. Whatever the Prime Minister decides, it will be for the betterment of the government,” the MIC man said.
No comments:
Post a Comment