SUBANG JAYA, 29 Nov 2008: MCA, the second biggest party in the Barisan Nasional (BN), is fully committed to the coalition and hopes it will hold more programmes involving all component parties to strengthen it further.
Its president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said the BN should not be dispirited that it lost five states and two thirds majority in Parliament in the March general election (GE).
“It will take us some time to regain the support of the people and confidence in ourselves.
“The BN performance (in the GE) should be used as a lesson to further strengthen the coalition,” he told reporters after opening MCA’s Kelana Jaya service centre here today.
Ong, who is also Transport Minister, said the GE result also posed an important test as to the comradeship among the component parties.
“It is our team spirit that will carry us through. We will have to quadruple our efforts to win back the confidence of the people who voted against us.
“We (component parties) must also show that we can cooperate at all times and not when only facing elections,” he said.
He also said BN component parties must be sincere in their cooperation at all times, be willing to receive constructive feedback and avoid the “politics of pretence”.
Ong added that MCA’s new leadership team voted in 40 days ago had wasted no time in finding ways to address people’s problems irrespective of race.
“Grassroots leaders must also do the same. This is a challenge that has to be shouldered by all,” he said. — Bernama
