MCA New Movement enveloped by doubts as party gears up for polls

This article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 13/12/2013

Leaders who are contesting in the MCA election on Dec 21 are intensifying their campaigns as the polls draw nearer. The big question is whether those elected will be able to revamp the party and turn its fortunes around. I doubt it because most of the candidates are old faces who have been around since 2008, when MCA suffered a major electoral setback.

In aftermath of the 13th general election last May which saw MCA suffering its worst ever defeat, a group of young reformists formed the New Movement in the party.

The New Movement unveiled an action plan outlining the need for the party to implement a direct election of party leaders and to allow party members to determine the electoral candidates.

It also called for the re-registration of party members in order to determine the actual party members and the legitimacy of all its branches.

Little-known Gurun state assemblyman Dr Leong Yong Kong has announced his candidacy for the vice-presidency, proclaiming affiliation to the New Movement. The New Movement’s leader, Joe Liaw, said it decided to endorse Leong’s candidacy for the vice-presidency after its past demands and proposals had fallen on deaf ears. None of the rival factions in MCA has taken into consideration the New Movement’s initiatives.

The main challenge for the New Movement is that none of the current MCA leaders has taken its reform proposals seriously as the rival factions are busy championing their own agendas. Even the mainstream media has decided not to pay any attention to this movement.

So, will the New Movement prevail and become a driving force to pressure the party leadership for more drastic reforms? MCA has yet to recover from its two major electoral defeats because of continuous factional infightings.

MCA branches, divisions and state committees are still being dominated and controlled mostly by supporters of these rival factions. The New Movement has yet to effectively take control of the party branches and divisions to lay the foundation for taking on the old guards at the state and national levels.

In order to push their reform agendas effectively, the New Movement ought to take on the conservative party leaders at the branch and divisional levels first in order to establish authority at the party grassroots level.

Furthermore, the New Movement also needs to reveal its candidates to contest all positions in the central committee instead of just endorsing one candidate, for the vice-presidency.

Apart from this, the reform agendas of the New Movement are unclear and many party delegates and members have yet to receive and understand the reform proposals outlined by this group.

So far, the New Movement has only outlined the reforms on the party leadership structures, the party’s electoral process, selection of candidates and the membership re-registration exercise. There was no mention of its proposed public policies, plans and what it could do to regain the people’s support for the party.

Another nagging question is whether the New Movement will function permanently as a pressure group with a long-term goal or it will become just another interim group for the purpose of the coming party elections.

If the New Movement’s endorsed candidates are to lose in the party elections, will they just acknowledge their defeat and retreat into defunct mode or will they continue with their struggle for reform?

The majority of MCA members and delegates are still unconvinced of the message forwarded by the New Movement, especially with regard to its ability to go for the long haul.

Will the New Movement be able to take on a much heavier responsibility in ensuring MCA rebuilds its reputation and emerge from the ashes? Will the New Movement be able to fully understand the current political situation, going back to the basic principles of the party and the people’s demands in order to revive MCA into a new political force?

Well, too many questions and doubts surround the New Movement. At the coming party election, only the delegates can decide if they want MCA to bravely move into a new chapter or languish in its present position with the usual faces taking charge.