KUALA LUMPUR: There will be no MCA-Gerakan merger but both parties will come as one team under the Barisan Nasional spirit.
MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today's historic 'Stronger Together' assembly by MCA and Gerakan aims to send out an important message to all their party members that the two were working closely together.
He said the parties will deepen cross-government departmental communications, improve coordination among component parties, and make good use of government mechanism to serve the people.
“For instance, MCA and Gerakan will in the next three years, jointly see through the construction of 10 all-new SJKCs (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina) and the relocation of another six, to ensure that Chinese education continues to flourish.
“In addition, the cooperation is not confined to the central leadership alone.
“It is a holistic cooperation, especially among the grassroots,” he said.
Liow said the two parties have gleaned lessons from the 13th General Elections (GE) and it was time they unleash the spirit of supporting one another as the GE14 draws nearer.
He said both parties will give full support and assistance to one another on each other’s battlefields.
Liow, who is also Transport Minister, revealed that he and his Gerakan counterpart Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, in the past two months, have had at least five meetings together.
He said they have met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and reached an understanding on improving the Chinese community’s rights and development opportunities.
“In these five meetings, simply speaking, we were searching for a new way out for the Chinese community. We want to create a better tomorrow for our people.
“As we and the Chinese community share a common destiny, unity will make us stronger, and this strength will enable us to fight for more advantageous developments for all races and our nation.
“This is not only MCA’s and Gerakan’s vision, but shared by all Malaysians as well,” he added.