KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak told MCA to step out of its communal inclination, urging them to serve all and not just the Chinese community in a "give and take" spirit.
The directive was made in his speech at MCA's annual general assembly here where the premier called on the party to encapsulate a national agenda in its struggle rather than merely focusing on Chinese needs.
"Serve the people, not just the Chinese community but all races. If you see a poor Malay or Indian, go and help him.
“I encourage Umno to do it, too. During the fasting month, I gave aid to the poor Chinese and the Indians too... so what is wrong?” he said in his 48-minute speech.
It was a thinly-veiled reference to MCA leaders who at its recent economic congress, boldly demanded the government to remove the 30 percent bumiputera equity target.
The demand infuriated many of their BN comrades in Umno who were growing increasingly uncomfortable with MCA's loud demands for the abolition of race-based affirmative action policies and replace it with needs or merits-based ones.
Its demands triggered a verbal bout between the two allies and strained relations between the two biggest component parties in the ruling coalition.
Najib took a more diplomatic posture and said he is trying best to implement a more inclusive range of policies but faces difficulties given his position as the chief of Umno.
"I am also the president of Umno. My Umno leaders tell me, look, you want to give the Chinese community this and that, what are they doing? Are they responding?," he said.
MCA has implicitly blamed racism on the part of Umno for its flagging support and while Najib had somewhat conceded to this when he stressed on the need to "give space" to the Chinese party to fight for its community, he demanded "some ass-kicking" from MCA in working towards pulling back Chinese support towards BN.
"You have to be frank to them. Tell them that this is not just about the Chinese community, but about this lovely country, for beautiful Malaysia," he said.
Not 'pendatang'
It would not be easy for the premier though. Race-based policies and publicised racist statements by top government officials have not convinced the Chinese electorate that it wants to hold the fort for a government that has been least respectful to them.
"I don't agree with the term pendatang (immigrants)," he said in reference to the popular derogatory term used to describe the Chinese community.
"Yes, you came here at one time, but that was three, four, five generations ago. Now, you are all loyal citizens of the country,” he said to a loud applause.
Reconciliatory tone then took over Najib's speech when he recalled the struggle of BN's predecessor, the Alliance, where the founding fathers bypassed race to work towards nation-building post and pre independence.
MCA can play a pivotal role in this, said the nation's sixth premier, if it transform its mindset.
Najib urged the party to work harder in gaining back Chinese support which he said was "part and parcel" of the government's plan to transform Malaysia into a "high class 21st century nation" by 2020.
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