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Has the MCA abandoned politics? The party�s own �lifelong learning� has to begin now
by Tan Lee Ooi
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At any rate, the MCA leaders were more concerned getting on board the LRT and symbolically riding �the train of knowledge� and so launching the MCA�s latest campaign of promoting �Lifelong Learning�. There was much hype over the event, especially in the Chinese media. Unexpectedly, however, a lively debate also emerged among Chinese intellectuals over the role and priorities of the major Chinese party in the country. Was the MCA overemphasizing a role in development and educational pursuits? Had the MCA abandoned politics as some of its critics declared? Debate in the Chinese dailies Phoon Wing Keong, a research officer at the New Era College, was probably responsible for kicking off the debate. In his article entitled �When Will the MCA Return to Politics?� published in the Opinions Column of Oriental Daily (15 October 2004), he urged the MCA leaders to first learn how to bring back politics into the party before embarking on a lifelong learning journey. Alas, the new leadership of MCA had inherited the mindset of the previous president, and like him, was further distancing the party from the mainstream of politics. At a time when we need to commit ourselves to work towards a more democratic polity and a better system of governance, the MCA chooses instead to hop on the train of knowledge. Phoon argued that the MCA�s focus on �delivering public goods� so as to �pacify the people� would not satisfy the rising expectations of the new generation of Malaysians. Phoon termed the MCA�s stance as an act of �running away from politics� (tao li zheng zhi). Agreeing with Phoon, several other young Chinese professionals next opined that the MCA had become confused and forgotten its political role. Ngoi Guat Peng, a regular commentator who is also a PhD candidate in National University of Singapore, posed the question, �What is the role of a political party?� and questioned how the MCA�s Lifelong Learning campaign fitted in (Oriental Daily, 30 October 2004). A chemist who had graduated from the University of Malaya, also a columnist for the Nanyang Siang Pau, welcomed a campaign to promote lifelong learning. However, such a project had to be incorporated into and made part of the national development strategy. It had to be a policy located �inside the government�, not �outside the government�. At any rate, embarking on lifelong learning �outside of the government� should not be used by the MCA to �withdraw the Chinese community from the political process� (Nanyang Siang Pau, 24 October 2004). Needless to say, several readers came out in support of the MCA as well. By and large, they repeated the usual: that is, that the Chinese had to keep in mind �the reality of Malaysia�s multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society� and that there were constraints arising from the �social contract� agreed upon at Independence including acknowledging the pre-eminence of Malays in the country and UMNO as leader of the BN coalition government (see the opinion in Oriental Daily, 16 Oct 2004, for instance). Another writer attached to the MCA�s think tank criticized Phoon for talking only in terms of �theory� without considering �practice� and practical realities. He further challenged the opinion of Phoon and other critics for claiming that they were raising issues of macro-political importance while the MCA was merely involved in trivial activities of micro-political significance (Sin Chew Daily, 19 October 2004). Where has politics gone? Phoon wrote another article in response to his critics and to elaborate why he claimed the MCA was �running away from politics�. Many young Chinese professionals, Phoon claimed, no longer regarded the MCA as a political party. This is consistent with the kinds of activities, especially educational with which the MCA is associated nowadays. In fact much of the party�s energy and passion seems to be devoted towards establishing Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and running and developing the many branches of Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (KTAR). Moreover, since 1993, then MCA president Ling Liong Sik had also launched the Langkawi Project to provide for the educational needs of poorer Chinese. Apart from education, the MCA has also undertaken projects like the �anti-ecstasy� and �anti-gaming machine� campaigns. Other activities included promoting �Cupid Clubs�, a �Mental Revolution Gathering�, and crime prevention. Then there was the MCA�s move to control the Chinese media by taking over the Nanyang Press through the party�s investment arm Huaren Holding. All these, it should be noted, were being conducted �outside of government�. Where is the politics in all these activities, campaigns and projects? Not surprisingly, MCA leaders are now worried about �the quantity and quality of its younger members�. The young Chinese professionals, Phoon concluded, are not interested in joining an �old Chinese clan association� which he claims, the MCA had become. ... to the websites and the assembly hall This debate soon spilled over beyond the major Chinese dailies to the online websites, especially in Asia Times (Chinese), Old Kopitiam and The Free Media. In fact the debate there was more heated but also moved quickly from exploring whether the MCA is running away from politics to why the MCA was running away from politics to how to bring MCA back to politics. A pro-MCA article posted in Old Kopitiam argued that Phoon and his elitist group of supporters did not appreciate nor did they understand the new socio-economic circumstances. Nowadays, it argued, ethnic tensions have receded and Malaysia is a more peaceful country thanks to the BN. Under the circumstances, there was less need for political participation (Old Kopitiam, 7 November 2004, 4:24pm, www.oldkopitiam.com). On 2 November 2004 the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth wing organized a public seminar on the same issue. The speakers included Phoon, Malaysian Young Graduates president Quek Ngee Meng, who had played an important role in planning the MCA�s Lifelong Learning campaign, and Teh Hon Seng, associated with The People Are the Boss. Apparently, Quek was grilled by the audience during the Q and A session. Towards a new politics I do not wish to evaluate the merits of this or that argument. I simply want to highlight that the debates were conducted rationally, not emotionally. There was a significant difference between this round of debate and previous ones, which often were tinged with chauvinistic overtones. It was no longer simply issues of how the rights of minorities were being trampled on and that cultural rights must be defended. Instead, a considerable extent of the debate centred around notions of democracy, good governance, and the rights and liberties of all Malaysians, not just the Chinese community.. As an example, I wish to refer to how Phoon argued his point by citing from Aristotle�s The Politics: �Any one who by his nature and not simply by ill-luck has no state is either too bad or too good, either subhuman or superhuman�. For Phoon, this meant that politics is central to being human. The MCA, therefore, has to choose whether it wants to be a human entity that participates in politics, or a subhuman or a superhuman entity existing outside the state, i.e. politics. Maybe MCA Deputy President Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, who was the organizing secretary of the Lifelong Learning launching ceremony, has provided the answer. In his speech on that occasion, he told the crowd, �In this information age, things are changing and evolving so quickly. We must be aware of the changes and ready to learn to be instep with the global pace, or else, we will miss the �train� (The Star, 9 October 2004). Is the MCA catching the train of Lifelong Learning but missing the train of politics? Perhaps the MCA�s own journey of lifelong learning ought to begin now.
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Is the MCA catching the train of Lifelong Learning but missing the train of politics? 