KUALA LUMPUR: MCA will hold an emergency meeting within the next two days to decide whether it will contest the upcoming Melaka election after walking out of Barisan Nasional's candidate unveiling last night.
Party president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said MCA was caught off guard when BN unveiled its candidates after the party had been told that only the coalition's election machinery would be launched yesterday.
"On Thursday, MCA was told that we would be given two seats — both of which we won in the last election. In 2021, we contested seven seats," Wee told the New Straits Times.
"We voiced our objections and were told that the matter would be discussed."
Wee said he and other MCA leaders turned up at the launch of BN's election machinery in Melaka last night only to discover that the coalition would also be unveiling its candidates.
"MCA has not even submitted the names of our candidates, and BN wants to name them.
"Where is the courtesy? We did not have this problem in Johor and Negri Sembilan."
Wee said if state BN leaders could push component parties around, it raised questions about the role of component party presidents.
"We will meet within the next couple of days and decide whether we are still going to contest the election."
Earlier today, BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said negotiations on MCA's candidate list for the Melaka election remain open.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
