― Fikry Osman
The Malaysian Insider
March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 ― Yes, we know it’s silly season in Malaysia. You can tell by reading what the politicians are saying these days in the run-up to the 13th general election (GE13) that could happen in the next few weeks.

These politicians sometimes say the dumbest and most obvious things. Tan Sri Shahrir Samad said today that the DAP is out to destroy MCA by sending its big guns to Johor.

Wow, this is really brilliant deduction.

I guess he could not have said the DAP is focussing on Johor because of the number of urban seat there, the number of Chinese voters, and that the abysmal record of Datuk Ghani Othman and hangers-on like Shahrir and others make the southern state a good target.

So let’s follow Shahrir’s logic: DAP is targeting MCA. What is wrong with that? After all, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is telling all and sundry how strong his party is. His mouthpiece, The Star, is whacking the DAP every day.

So instead of running and hiding, DAP is going in search of its foe. Lim Kit Siang can choose to stay in safe Perak or Penang but is willing to take on Soi Lek in Gelang Patah.

And what is Soi Lek doing? Still hiding and hoping that some Umno guy will come to his aid, which is what Shahrir did.

We now have Umno shielding MCA again. It did that previously when the late Tun Ghafar Baba acted as party president to quell the quarrel between two feuding parties.

And now, again because MCA is weak. All Soi Lek can do is complain and ditch people he doesn’t like such as Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. From becoming an equal partner in Barisan Nasional (BN), MCA is now the underling.

That is why Kit Siang can come in and show who’s the boss. His comrade, Dr Chen Man Hin, did that with Tan Sri Lee San Choon the last time. At least San Choon had the scrotal gumption to take on his foe.

I don’t see Soi Lek doing that. He has to rely on others to fight his battles. The DAP doesn’t have to do it. It goes looking for support as a Malaysian party, not one based on race or racial lines.