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©The Malaysian Insider (Used by permission)
by Leslie Lau, Consultant Editor

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 - MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said today he stands by his view regarding the concept of Ketuanan Melayu, or Malay supremacy, despite heavy criticisms from Umno leaders.

Umno leaders have lashed out at Dr Chua, pointing out to him that Ketuanan Melayu was not a joke to be taken lightly.

The Umno-owned Mingguan Malaysia also ran a banner headline today with the words "Do not question" (Ketuanan Melayu).

Dr Chua's statement last week that he accepted Malay leadership and not Ketuanan Melayu has also embarrassed his party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat who has distanced the party from such a stand in an effort to prevent an Umno-MCA row.

Dr Chua's argument for more equitable power sharing in BN appears designed to place pressure on Ong to be more vocal in his dealings with Umno.

It is also the first clear sign of how an ongoing spat between the MCA's top two leaders is beginning to spill over into the party's ties with Umno.

"We accept Malay leadership. But there has been a change in the political landscape where we have more of a two-party system.

"BN parties will do well if it starts to champion national and not just racial issues," he told The Malaysian Insider.

Dr Chua said BN parties must think as Malaysians now because issues which affect any single community affect all Malaysians as well.

His statement has come under considerable attack, especially from Umno leaders.

Today's Mingguan Malaysia quoted Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein as saying that "it is better that BN component party leaders join the opposition if they want to drag up history and facts."

Said his Umno colleague Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar: "Other communities should stop criticising the concept of Malay Supremacy because it is not a joke to be taken lightly."

The controversy over Dr Chua's assertion of a master-servant relatuionship between Umno and MCA appears to have brought back into focus the assertion of some BN parties that Umno is too dominant.

However, the Umno response has been, and continues to be that sensitive race relations issues should not be openly discussed.

The controversy is also a reflection of the difficult balancing act BN finds itself in since the March 8 elections saw the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance of PKR, DAP and Pas deny them for the first time their two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Since then the PR alliance, led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has pushed the argument for more inclusive politics, while trying to portray BN as a racially divided coalition dominated by Umno.

This is not the first time Dr Chua has called for a more equitable partnership with Umno, nor is it the first time he has described ties between Umno and MCA as that of master and servant.

During the campaign for the recent MCA party elections, he won the deputy presidency largely on the platform of change and reform of the BN, and his latest statement appears to be a continuation of that stand.

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