When UMNO takes on MCA’s role

My SinChew

Attention all UMNO members. Yes, including you leaders.

你 好嗎？is Mandarin for "apa khabar?" or how are you? 我們會照顧你的 "kami akan jaga kamu" (we will take care of you) and 請投我們一票 "tolong undi kami" or please vote for us.

That should do it for now. There's lots more to it though.

Mandarin to you, at your age, won't be easy. Any mispronounciation can give totally different meaning.

Be careful. Now how you wish you had gone to study in Chinese schools long time ago right? Still it's not too late. But you've got to work hard. Learn Mandarin well.

But if that's not hard enough, then there're the dialects--Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Teowchew and many more.

Why you might ask must you endure or rather put yourself under all this "hardship"? Well, your Deputy President said recently that UMNO might take the role of "helping the Chinese community if MCA continues to be embroiled in crisis."

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said if MCA "is in such a state, obviously the Chinese community would not be happy and we don't want them to abandon the Barisan."

"So maybe there is no other recourse for UMNO to play that role (i.e. the MCA's role) for the time being to assist them," Muhyiddin went on to say as quoted by English daily The Star recently.

So there you have it. UMNO leaders and members must know Chinese well if they are to carry out the words of your Number Two man. Learning Mandarin and the other dialects is just the start. You must know what's dim sum, chee cheong fun, loh see fun, Mooncake Festival, Holy Ghost Festival, Chap Goh Meh, Zong Zhao Dong. The list goes on and on.

In short, you must know the Chinese culture, food, custom, etc. Again, how you wish you had gone to Chinese schools. (Come to think of it some UMNO folks weren't keen on Chinese schools in the first place and that's putting it mildly. Ask Zong Zhao Dong. Anyway put all that side and for the sake of the BN and Deputy President Muhyiddin get yourself ready.

Also please brace yourself to attend the many ceremonies and events. Including religious ones in temples. And you must attend events where non-halal food is served. Let's be blunt. When pork is the main dish.

You don't have to eat it of course. Nobody's going to force you to take it anyway. But just attend the ceremony, sit at the same table with other guests and respect those enjoying the food. And drinks. (You must know what yam seng means.)

Of course there's more. But you get the picture. You need to feel and live the community. You must realise the Chinese hold education very close to their hearts.

In short, you've got to be as Chinese as possible to understand and appreciate the Chinese. Only then you can "mendampingi" (get close to) the Chinese. Only then you get to carry out your task as envisaged by your Deputy President.

Still that's the easy part. The going will get tough when the Chinese community brings out issues which they want resolved.

There's no need to be specific, as being seasoned politicians in a big party like UMNO, you all know what the issues are, or at least can expect what will be raised.

Suffice to say equality is one. My two sen worth of advice is--get your answers ready.

Only then you can say with confidence 我們會照顧你的 ("kami akan jaga kamu," we will take care of you) and 請投我們一票 ("tolong undi kami," please vote for us). (By MOHSIN ABDULLAH/MySInchew)