By Shazwan Mustafa KamalThe Malaysian Insider May 29, 2011
The Pahang BN chairman says that MCA leaders must start “believing” in their strengths if they want to win more seats at the next general elections. — file picGENTING HIGHLANDS, May 29 — MCA leaders need to buck up and improve if the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party wants to win more seats at the next general elections, Datuk Seri Adnan Mansor said last night.
Adnan, who is Pahang BN chairman and Pahang Umno Liaison Committee chairman, said that the only way for MCA to accomplish this was for its leaders to start “believing” in their strengths.
“We must know our strengths before going into the GE … we need to know our position.
“MCA needs conviction … if you waver in your stand, confirm kita kalah (we will lose),” Adnan said during an MCA retreat last evening.
The veteran Umno leader said that once MCA “strengthened” itself, it could then work together with Umno as a solid coalition.
“The Chinese must be convinced that MCA can fight for the Chinese … we cannot say we are multiracial if there are no Chinese representatives in BN,” added the Pahang MB.
In Election 2008, MCA suffered its worst-ever electoral defeat when it saw its parliamentary representation cut by more than half from 31 to just 15 seats.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is widely tipped to call an early general election this year, but did not comment on the matter today.
The Malaysian Insider understands, however, that Najib is likely to delay snap polls until the end of this year or early 2012 as his party hunts for funds to finance a campaign to court Bumiputera and Indian voters in its bid to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
It is understood Umno’s coffers were depleted after BN spent some RM500 million for the April 16 Sarawak election.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, however, told The Malaysian Insider that he believes Umno’s increasingly ultra-Malay stance as well as the emergence of a sex video aimed at discrediting PR’s image are definite signs that general elections will be called by August.