What If I Were the President of MCA Malaysia?

In the beginning, MCA were assigned very prominent ministerial role such as the Finance Ministry. Perhaps the best proofs were:-

1). The Board of Commissioners of Currency for Malaya and British Borneo; where the 1959 one dollar note with a twelve point star in the centre with a tiger's head watermark, coupled with a sailing fisherman's boat on the left. Reverse design of fisherman pulling sailing boat ashore and crests of Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak on top; signed by Tun Lee Hau Shik, our Financial Chairman ( Finance Minister ) then.

2). The 1961 Ten dollar's note; with a farmer and a buffalo ploughing in padi field with a tiger's head as watermark; signed by Tun Tan Siew Sin, also Financial Chairman.

When Tan Sri Lee San Choon finally took over the helm of MCA after the demised of Tun Tan Siew Sin, plus some unforeseen internal squabble within; MCA President's Ministerial portfolio were "demoted" to mere Transport Ministry. That was also the time we saw the emergence of our prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah from the North-eastern states of Kelantan as Finance Minister.

After the introduction of the New Economic Policy ( NEP ) in the early seventies, there was no looking back for the UMNO-led politics, as far as power, positions and control within and without the ruling party of Perikatan and later Barisan Nasional alliance was concerned. Although traditionally, Chinese were blessed with 5000 years of historical evident of Mainland China and her much acclaimed Art of War philosophies, Romance of Three Kingdoms, Thick Dark Philosophy etc, it was the Malays that emerged victors within Barisan Nasional to run Malaysia, as they would have wished to. Who says the Malays were victimized during the 446 ( 1957 less 1511 ) years of colonization?

Today in 2007, after 50 years of independence; what was left over by MCA were as mere bench warmers of the Barisan Nasional; or to put it bluntly, "rubber stamps", as claimed by the opposition party, in particular the Democratic Action Party ( DAP ); the main so-claimed multi-racial opposition party championing for a Malaysians' Malaysia, with majority supports from the Chinese grassroots.

If compromise and tolerance was the yardsticks for MCA's performance, the recent forced closure and datelines imposed on the Melaka's Chinese-own pig farms were truly the reflection of the agony of being MCA's representatives; both as States EXCOs and Federal Ministers' levels.

Going by current local Chinese sentiments, if we were to hold a general election anytime now, there is hardly a chance any MCA's parliamentary and states candidates within Melaka that could win or retain their allocated seats by votes from the Chinese community. Probably these Chinese candidates, field by MCA, who was supposed to safeguard Chinese's rights in Malaysia must in turn beg on the non-Chinese votes for survival, as the UMNO had always claimed to be as well; how sad?

Internally, MCA had to face up to our politically much powerful Malay counterparts, or superior. Externally it in turn had to face the majority of discontent grassroots members and voters/citizens. If that was not enough, any community problem, ranging from pig-farms, drainage, water reticulation, Chinese education, loan shacks, tele-communication tower, housing, you just name it, MCA would be cursed and swear for incompetence, irresponsible and under-performance.

Given the current miserable and catastrophic scenario, what if I were the current President of MCA?

Probably I would conduct a marketing-style analysis to ascertain my next course of actions; as follows:-

1. Where are we going?
2. Where are we now?
3. What shall we do?
4. How to ensure arrival?

It looked pretty simple right, but nobody said it was easy!

1. Where are the Chinese in Malaysia going?

Presently we are going no where. Or worse still Chinese in Malaysia were not told to head for any particular destination yet, despite all the predicaments faced of late. To remain as Malaysians of Chinese origins; we have to position and think globally. Our domestic market place might be big, but not big enough when we have to share with our Malay counterparts and others. As our Malay entrepreneurs are gaining in momentum, we are left with no more choice but to seek opportunities aboard. Yes many Chinese-based conglomerates or public listed companies had venture overseas long time ago but these maneuvers were not officially encouraged by MCA. Instead it still harbor on win-win situations within where supply exceeds demand.

1. Where are we now?

Frankly speaking, we the Malaysians of Chinese origin were neither here of there. Chinese strength within Malaysia, either politically or financially, are like loose sand; this is because we fell easy prey to marginalization, ridicule, and oppression; not by others but by our own clan. Chinese by nature were fond of competing amongst own self; we envy the success of our own community. In order to excel and shine, we can go to the extent of 'killing' and wipe-out each other; amongst brothers, business partners, relatives, neighbors so on and so forth. When facing external pressures, we have the tendency to pass the bug to someone else; in the hope that others were the ones to scarify and we ripe their fruits. The old saying that "A good male should not be in the army!" is a living testimony.

Our greatest enemy is nobody but ourselves. Our ignorant, egoism, pride and vanity had lead to our downfall thus far. By clinching to the believe that the Chinese language - Mandarin is the only answer to uniting our community is perhaps the single most disastrous mistake ever undertaken by our own selves. We are living in a globalize climate, only the fittest will survive. Henceforth, we must be multi-lingual hence making the globe our targeted market place and not specifically dwell on a single liking with limitations.

1. What shall we do?

Change in mind-set and stop being professionals. Forgo our bombastic claim towards our 5000 years ancestry temporarily and starts from zero-level mindset. Act like a piece of white paper all over again and 'absorb' everything that comes our way before we sieve, pick and choose our own destiny. We Chinese should not behave as if we were master and professionals that we knew everything under the sun and sky. The saying: Professionals are people who can tell you more ways as to why things can't work than it can work should be a timely reminder to us all. So negative of Malaysian Chinese!

1. How to ensure arrival?

This is where MCA could help. MCA could still utilize whatever little influence left within the government to form a platform from within towards the global market of without. Hence all Malaysians of Chinese origins would be motivated towards external market potentials rather than harping on domestic market needs unhappiness within. The opportunities available vie internet shall not be subjected to minimum 30% preference for Bumiputeras under the NEP so here lies the real potentials. Other than that, MCA could gather all relevant data of students of higher learning and 'market' them abroad, find them oversea employment opportunities when they have problems fining eventual employment domestically. When the need warrant, these young work force would make money in foreign soil and send them home to prosper the local households/parents. MCA could further set up a committee and webpage specifically on the aforesaid matter. Also, set up special courses to teach IT courses.

All in all encourage and assist each and every Malaysian of Chinese origin to venture abroad instead of complaining and blaming on MCA from a to z for the seemingly "marginalization" where in actual fact is our own wrong doings - right objective but wrong approach and positioning.

Last but not least, limitation only exists in our thoughts!