If no more ‘Chinese tsunami’, will the MCA’s three top leaders come out of UMNO “protectorates” to contest in constituencies where Chinese voters are least 50%?

MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has declared that there will not be a Chinese tsunami in the 14th General Election, expected to be held within 80 days by mid-May.

In the first place, let me correct Liow as there was no “Chinese tsunami” in the 13th GE but an “urban tsunami”, where Malaysian urban voters regardless of race or colour banded together to effect a change of government in Putrajaya.

However if Liow is convinced that there is not going to be no a “Chinese tsunami” in the 14GE, will he and the three top MCA leaders come out of UMNO ‘protectorates’ and contest in constituencies where the Chinese voters represent more than 50%, since MCA claims to be a party representing the Chinese in Malaysia?

Let such an announcement be made at the 69th MCA Anniversary on Sunday, which would make the anniversary significant, as having the three top MCA leaders contesting in UMNO “protectorates” where Malay voters exceed the Chinese voters is not something MCA can be proud.

It is like the three top UMNO leaders have to get into Parliament and Cabinet by contesting in constituencies dependent on MCA’s Chinese votes!

Malay voters represent the largest ethnic group in six of the seven parliamentary constituencies won by MCA in the 13th General Election in 2013.

Is the MCA representing the Chinese in Barisan Nasional or is it representing UMNO to the Malaysian Chinese? Or is MCA representing all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion?

In Bentong, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, the single biggest ethnic bloc of voters are 46.1% Malay voters, as Chinese voters represent 42.4%, Indians 9.0% and Others 2.5%.

In Ayer Hitam, the parliamentary constituency of MCA Deputy President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, the largest ethnic group of voters are the 57.6% Malay voters, with the Chinese 38.3%; Indians 3.9% and Others 0.2%.

In Tanjong Malim, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA Secretary-General and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, the largest ethnic group of voters are again the Malays 55.4% with Chinese 25.8%, Indians 13.2% and Orang Asli 5.6%.

The previous worst General Election outing of MCA before the 2013 General Election was the 1969 General Election, when MCA won 13 parliamentary seats.

But in 1969, only three of the 13 Parliamentary seats won by MCA had Malay voters more than Chinese voters, as compared to six of the seven parliamentary seats won by the MCA in the 2013 General Election.

In the 1969 General Election, both the then MCA Deputy President, Tan Sri Khaw Kai Boh and the then MCA Secretary-General Kam Woop Wah contested in constituencies where Chinese voters were the largest ethnic group i.e. Chinese voters more than Malay voters.

Khaw Kai Boh won Ulu Selangor and continued as Cabinet Minister while Kam Woon Wah lost in Sitiawan.