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BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has maintained that “everything is positive” within the coalition, but MCA president Wee Ka Siong’s remarks suggest otherwise.
Tensions between BN lynchpin Umno and its coalition partner MCA appear to have come to a head just days before the Malacca state election campaign kicks off.
Earlier today, Zahid dismissed rumours of...
BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has maintained that “everything is positive” within the coalition, but MCA president Wee Ka Siong’s remarks suggest otherwise.
Tensions between BN lynchpin Umno and its coalition partner MCA appear to have come to a head just days before the Malacca state election campaign kicks off.
Earlier today, Zahid dismissed rumours of MCA withdrawing from BN, saying that there is no conflict, following a meeting he attended with Wee and caretaker Malacca chief minister Ab Rauf Yusoh at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur from 11pm to 1am last night.
"However, I cannot disclose the details yet, as I have entrusted the caretaker Malacca chief minister with the mandate to make the announcement," Malaysia Gazette quoted the Umno president as saying at a programme at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka.
In response, Wee issued a statement on Facebook asserting that Zahid was "premature" in portraying a positive outcome in talks between both parties, saying both sides have yet to engage in further communication.
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"We hope to achieve a breakthrough within these next two days.
"Regarding MCA's future direction and final decision in the Malacca state election, a decision will be made after collective deliberation by the MCA central leadership," Wee added.
Only two seats for MCA
On Oct 24, Chinese media reported that Wee and other MCA leaders walked out of the hall during BN's candidate announcements, reportedly unhappy that the party would contest only two seats.
READ MORE: Rauf, Akmal stay in their safe seats, MCA irked, risky seats left to PN
At an impromptu press conference later, Wee said MCA was unhappy that the seats had been handed to “the other side” without consultation.
Asked whether MCA would sit out the Malacca polls in protest, he said the party would wait to see how matters developed in the coming days.
MCA's dissatisfaction with Umno stems from BN's strategy for the upcoming state election, as the coalition appears to be playing it safe by contesting only seats that it or its Perikatan Nasional partner won previously.
This means that MCA was allocated only the two seats it won in the previous state polls: Machap Jaya and Kelebang.