KUALA LUMPUR: The rumble between Umno and its Chinese allies in the Barisan Nasional has escalated, with the Umno-linked newspaper Utusan Malaysia dedicating pages of articles focused on flaying the MCA following its bold calls for economic liberalisation.
The MCA-organised Chinese Economic Congress last Saturday passed 13 resolutions, with some touching on sensitive policies such as calling for the gradual removal of the 30% Bumiputera corporate equity, and increased participation of non-Malays in government-linked companies.
This forced Umno's top leaders to retaliate, with its deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin and vice-president Hishammuddin Tun Hussein warning MCA to stick to the ruling coalition's struggle and principles.
But MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek will not barge, arguing that Umno's old ways of doing things and the failure by the Malay party to recognise its weaknesses will only lead to MCA's demise.
In an apparent retaliation against MCA and its president, Utusan published stinging articles with venomous headlines like "MCA's demands are ungrateful", "Don't play with fire" and a half-page column urging the Chinese party to tow the line.
There was also an article seemingly aimed at fanning racial sentiments when it attacked Chua's statement yesterday that MCA will have no qualms sharing similar stance with the DAP for the benefit of the electorate.
No space was given to Chinese voices on the issue.
In the column entitled 'Hormati sepakatan sedia ada' (Respect the current pact), the writer dismissed the demands by MCA and its readiness to stand on the same ground as the DAP as "immature". She also described the DAP as rogues who are disrespectful of the Malays.
There was also a clear intention to drive a wedge between PAS and the DAP and instigating racial sentiments in the article when the writer said the Chinese-based party in Pakatan Rakyat is the stumbling block to PAS' Islamic state aspirations.
"Just look at the demands made by the Chinese Economic Congress. Among its demands is that the government gives licences to F class contractors based on merits and not race. Doesn't Chua Soi Lek know that the majority of F class contractors are Bumiputeras whose livelihoods depend on Chinese suppliers... in this context, who are the kings of the economy if not the Chinese?" wrote the writer.
Several parts of the column condemned the MCA and Chua for being "insensitive" to the "economic plight" of the Malays and also rebuked them for being unable to comprehend the idea of "just and equitable economic distribution".
Malays have been tolerant enough
Chua, a former health minister, had also said that MCA, which is drastically losing support, must change its ways to stay relevant among the voters and is resolved to regain their trust no matter what the risks are.
The articles in Utusan harped on this. Many called the shift of paradigm in MCA's battle for voters "arrogant" and bordering on extremism, with total disregard for the Federal Constitution which enshrines Malay special positions in the country.
"Are there no other ways for MCA to win back Chinese support? Why are they making the Malays the scapegoat?
"The fact of the matter... is that everytime there is a new demand that corrodes the special position of the Bumiputeras that has been agreed upon, the feelings... of the Bumiputeras especially the Malays are hurt.
"The fact of the matter is that the Malays have long been tolerant up to the point where some would say: 'Never mind that some of the citizens can't even speak the national language as long as we live in peace and harmony," read the column.
The assaults by Utusan and the warnings by Umno have now placed MCA in a fix: it risks straining relations with the Malay party, the ruling coalition's lynchpin, or be labelled as cowards and lose more Chinese support if it backs down on its demands.
Either way, the opposition, particularly the DAP, would be ready to exploit the worsening tension between the two in the battle for Chinese votes and these are testing times for the 61-year-old MCA.
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