MIC, MCA reject new BN decision-making system

MIC has voiced opposition to a proposal to change BN’s consensus -based decision making system, warning that it would stifle out minority views.

Its deputy president Dr S Subramaniam said BN is a ‘showcase to the world’ on how decisions are arrived at by consensus which should be preserved.

“If we go on majority, then minority communities’ views will not be taken and the majority’s views - even if it is against the wishes of the minority - will be totally disregarded.

“I think we will stick to our principle that all decisions in BN should be made by consensus. That is what has given unity and political stability to the country.

“The day you remove the element of political decisions by consensus, that will give rise to a state of unhappiness particularly among the minority groups,” he told reporters today at the sidelines of the MCA’s annual general meeting.

He was asked to comment on BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor’s statement on Dec 15 that he will propose amending the coalition’s constitution so that the consensus-bases system will be abandoned in favour of a simple majority vote.

The proposal would be put forward at a BN Supreme Council meeting next year.

National news agency Bernama quoted him saying this in response to a request from All Malaysian Indian Progressive Front Party (IPF) president M Sambanthan. IPF is a pro-BN party, still seeking membership to be part of the ruling coalition.

To a question, Subramaniam said MIC has yet to voice opposition to the proposal because it has yet to be raised in any BN meeting, but will definitely do so at the appropriate time.

Liow: MCA will reject proposal

Meanwhile, MCA outgoing deputy president Liow Tiong Lai (below, far right) told reporters that the party has opposed such a proposal before.

“Our founding fathers (of BN) have set up this formula and BN’s spirit of power-sharing has lasted all this while instead of being dominated by a single (party), so we should appreciate it.

"Therefore, MCA will fully oppose the new proposal,” he said.

However, he said he does not rule out adopting a majority-based decision-making system as part of wider reforms in BN that would make it a multi-racial party, as long as the principle of power-sharing is maintained.

Liow is currently in the running for party presidency in today’s MCA election, and the results are expected this evening.