Seat dispute could impede MCA’s revival, says analyst

An analyst has warned that the dispute in Barisan Nasional (BN) over seat allocations for the Melaka election, which prompted a walkout by MCA leaders during the unveiling of the coalition’s candidates, could impede the party’s revival.

Liew Wui Chern of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman said the disagreement could affect MCA’s morale and the mobilisation of its machinery for the Nov 14 polls, especially in view of its recent electoral achievements.

At the Johor polls in July, MCA won eight seats, surpassing DAP’s haul of six and overturning a record over the past decade of consistent losses to its rival in urban, Chinese-majority seats.

At the Negeri Sembilan polls, meanwhile, MCA won two seats, ending its 13-year absence from the legislative assembly.

Liew said the dispute over seats for the Melaka election should be immediately resolved.

“MCA’s performance (at the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls) gave it greater stature in the coalition.

“If MCA members feel that their party has been disrespected, they will be discouraged from helping BN campaign,” he told FMT.

MCA leaders, led by their president Wee Ka Siong, staged a walkout from the BN candidate announcement on Saturday, saying seats previously contested by the party were allocated to other parties without proper consultation.

Wee said MCA could not be pushed around and deserved to be “treated with dignity”.

MCA previously held Kelebang and Machap Jaya in the Melaka state assembly after contesting seven seats in the 2021 state election, including Ayer Keroh, Kesidang, Kota Laksamana, Bandar Hilir and Bemban.

No candidates were named for the last five seats.

Liew said MCA should seize the silver lining in the dispute, namely greater leverage in negotiations.

However, he said a compromise did not necessarily mean that MCA would be able to contest all seven seats.

“The party has to accept that BN will be joining forces with PAS, which will lead to a different formula in terms of seat allocations,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya said MCA had been “emotional” in staging its walkout, and described the move as premature.

He said it also showed that the party leadership had failed to negotiate and find a resolution to the issue.

“MCA could have haggled for a parliamentary seat in the 16th general election in exchange for a state seat, or hammered out an agreement that a representative would be appointed as an assemblyman,” he said.

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.