A suggestion by MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat has revived debate over the issue of multiracialism in politics, writes CHOK SUAT LING.

DATUK Ong Tee Keat's proposal for the MCA to assume a more multiracial outlook has not only raised eyebrows, as he anticipated, but temperatures as well.

The MCA vice-president's opinion on what the party needed to do rejuvenate itself after the recent general election has spurred robust discussion and assessment.

That such an idea came from Tee Keat comes as no surprise for he is himself a prime example of multiracialism: he speaks Bahasa Malaysia like a Malay; loves to read the Chinese classics; and the very fact that he survived the March 8 political tsunami shows that he enjoys good support from all races in Pandan, a mixed constituency.

But for the MCA to adopt a similar outlook is a different story altogether.
While there have been pronouncements of support and praise, party leaders have not been positive in their comments.

Secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan distanced himself from Tee Keat's call.

He said it was Tee Keat's personal view and not the party's. Ka Chuan said the majority of grassroots members wanted the status quo to be maintained.

The brother of the party president said that while he did not want to deny Tee Keat the right to voice his views, "as far as the party is concerned, we have to be prudent".

However, Tee Keat's idea did not exactly materialise from out of the blue.

The idea of noncommunal, nonracial politics was mooted more than 50 years ago by Umno founder Datuk Onn Jaafar, who suggested that the party open its membership to all races. His vision for Umno was rejected by his party and he resigned.

More recently, following the election results, Umno senior politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah resurrected the idea.

He proposed that Umno project itself as supraethnic, a national party which was fair to all, to heal its diminished credibility.

Gerakan Youth chief Datuk Mah Siew Keong went even further. He called for a merger of all Barisan Nasional (BN) parties.

Mah said the people may not have been ready for it during the time of Onn, but they may be more receptive now as the BN had moved forward.

Indeed, a multiracial outlook will help put a stop to the politics of race and the playing up of communal issues.

And the people, according to the Merdeka Center's most recent survey last month, are ready. Malaysians want to see a multiracial party emerge from BN.

Two in three voters surveyed believe BN component parties should merge.

Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian said that based on the findings, BN had a chance to re-invent itself and break free from racial politics.

In this regard, MCA Seremban division vice-chief Tan Foong Luen said Tee Keat's proposal was the way forward for the party.

The Negri Sembilan MCA legal bureau chief said it was imperative for the party to break away from what he called the katak di bawah tempurung (non-progressive) mindset.

"MCA has to re-invent itself and have a multiracial view and vision. It has to get rid of its cloistered viewpoint as it has been 50 years since the formation of the social contract."

Tan says he was disappointed with the secretary-general's response to Tee Keat's proposal. "I believe in Tee Keat's vision, which is in tune with that of the younger generation of educated members."

There are, however, several stumbling blocks in realising the vision, as even proponents of the proposal admit. One would be the need to open up party membership to other races.

Political analyst Ong Kian Ming said if MCA wanted to have a multiracial outlook, that should be the first step.

"It will be difficult to have a multiracial outlook with a mono-racial composition. If you don't have members of other races, how would you know how they think and what they want?"

He said MCA required members to have at least one grandparent who is Chinese. "If they want to open up, they will need to remove this and I don't think it will be easy. Most members will be opposed to such a move."

Tan begs to differ. He said the party constitution was not etched in stone.

"It can be changed. If we refuse to change, we will become dinosaurs.

"The United States, for instance, is ready for an African-American or woman president, so why can't MCA change?

"The leadership must not just close doors like this and refuse to even consider it. March 8 should have awakened them on the need for change. We should not be pigeonholed based on race."

Another challenge will be for other BN component parties to move in the same direction. If only MCA adopted a multiracial outlook but not Umno or MIC, difficulties could arise.

Brickfields Gerakan branch chairman Rene Leow said if, for instance, a Chinese party offered to help Malays on a matter or champion an issue, the Malay party could feel that its turf was being encroached upon.

"There will be problems. Gerakan, for example, has always fought to maintain its multiracialism but being in BN has limited our functionality and ability to be more all-inclusive. If we all push in the same direction, however, there won't be such problems."

Proponents for the adoption of a multiracial outlook are heartened that Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein appears to have embraced it.

Hishammuddin described Tee Keat's sentiments as far thinking, bold and pragmatic and said it should be adopted by all political parties, including Umno.

"Political parties should not be orthodox or conservative when it comes to national issues, such as economic policies, and should engage all races."

But even then, it may well be difficult to bring about such a massive shift. There is bound to be opposition from many quarters who are used to the racial mould.

Kian Ming said it was a good idea but not realistic now.

Discussions can and should, however, be kept going. Perhaps as a start, MCA, and other BN parties could start looking beyond a single race when contemplating issues and policies.

Leow said: "When all have the same aim, it can be done. In the recent general election, the people generally pushed in one direction and we got results we never imagined we would see in our lifetime.

"It may seem improbable for BN parties to adopt a multiracial outlook now, but I believe it is not at all impossible in the future if all work towards it."