Well, I’m sure by now you’ve read about MCA’s resoooounding support for Umno and the small-medium enterprises (SME) loans matter (which seems a little too easily won to be really significant? But we’ll see).
Not much to add there, except highlight some differences in coverage. Our MCA paper headlines “Ong: PM has affirmed healthy Umno-MCA ties” whereas our Umno paper has “Ka Ting reiterates MCA support for Umno” ‘Nuff said :)
The Star’s also highlights DS Ong’s denial that MCA has ever taken advantage of Umno in times of their weaknesses.
Read the full keynote address, or watch the video! (available in Real format)
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On to the more interesting stuff.
Ethnicity and religion come out to play as well. The Star only carries two rather mild articles where deputy president DS Chan Kong Choy differentiates between Islamic countries and states, and Kota Melaka MP YB Wong Nai Chee is given very select (read boring) coverage.
malaysiakini goes in the other direction by highlighting what the same YB Wong said about the growth of Islamisation and the problem of non-Muslim rights while also lamenting the ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ concept.
They also have an article on MCA Youth Chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai challenging a DBP publication and arguing that arguing that Chinese ‘economic supremacy’ is a fallacy and nowhere as strong as it is portrayed. He also suggests replacing ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ with ‘Warisan Kedudukan Melayu,’ as suggested by former University Malaya vice-chancellor Prof Said Hussein Alatas.
Fair points, but to be just as fair, it looks like while Khairy plays to his gallery, these guys are also playing to theirs.
And of course, the PM says hush now :(
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malaysiakini also writes about Deputy MCA Youth chief Ling Hee Leong’s defense of his association and meeting with Khairy and seems to assert his independence.
He conceded that he, (MCA sec-gen) Wee Ka Siong and Liow are not 100 percent in agreement over “party building” matters because they are different individuals. He, however, maintained that all three share the same objective.
Ling said he had received numerous calls on Aug 20 not to meet Khairy.
“But I still went to meet him the next day as I felt it was important for the party… we need to collect information before we make a decision.”
I dunno much about MCA Youth politics, but this reminds me of Umno Youth street protests. One naughty, rebellious son-in-law, one naughty, rebellious son?
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International Trade and Industry Minister DS Rafidah Aziz also kena, for apparently chasing away investors by being almost rudely defiant about the bumiputera equity issue in foreign investments. Perhaps she too is learning from Khairy the art of scoring in-party points?
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