PETALING JAYA: Two DAP leaders have dared MCA to take more drastic measures to express their dissatisfaction after staging a walkout yesterday over Barisan Nasional's allocation of seats for the Melaka polls.
Kampar MP Chong Zhemin challenged MCA to leave BN as a whole, while DAP Youth secretary Lim Chun Weng dared MCA to contest in the Melaka polls under its own logo.
Chong said this episode showcased the Chinese-based party's humiliating position within BN, with seats previously contested being given away to other parties without MCA being consulted.
"What clearer admission could there be that MCA has no meaningful say in BN?
“Umno decides who gets the seats. MCA is expected to turn up, accept the arrangement and applaud.
"Even the MCA president’s consent appears to be an inconvenience that can be bypassed," he said in a statement.
In a separate statement, Lim said MCA should contest the Melaka polls under its own logo instead of the BN banner to preserve its dignity.
Otherwise, he said the MCA leadership's walkout yesterday would be nothing more than political theatrics to garner sympathy votes.
"If MCA truly feels that BN doesn't respect MCA, then don't depend on the BN banner any more. If you truly have dignity, use the MCA logo and contest the traditional seats, now given to Perikatan Nasional."
Lim added that if MCA eventually comes to terms with BN's decision and continues contesting under the coalition's banner, it must stop playing the victim.
MCA president Wee Ka Siong led a walkout at a BN event in Melaka last night as the Umno-led coalition unveiled its candidates for the Nov 14 state election.
Wee said seats previously contested by the party had been allocated to other parties without proper consultation despite MCA being a long-standing BN component.
BN announced 21 candidates, including MCA vice-president Lim Ban Hong and state executive councillor Ngwe Hee Sem, who are defending their Kelebang and Machap Jaya seats, respectively.