By Clara Chooi
Assistant News Editor
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek appeared to acknowledge today that Pakatan Rakyat-bashing (PR) was the central theme to MCA's annual meeting but reasoned that with the general election soon, it was no longer a time for the party to discuss new policies.
The MCA president pointed out that the 13th general election was just months away and it was more important for party members to discuss unity and how to win the polls.
"No.. because election is very near. And a good leadership should alway be sensible and sensitive about its environment.
"While the AGM (annual general meeting) is always a platform for policy, laying out policies, we feel that this is not the time to talk about policy because the general election could be two, three months away," he told a press conference after closing the party's 59th AGM at Wisma MCA this evening.
Dr Chua (picture) was responding to criticisms accusing MCA of obsessing over bashing its political foes in PR, and particularly the DAP, instead of mooting fresh policies and ideas to court the Chinese community ahead of the coming polls.
Asked to explain the significance of this year's AGM theme - Stability above chaos - the party president said MCA's message was to remind voters that the country's racial harmony should not be treated lightly or assumed to be automatic.
He said that "chaos" was a specific reference to the likely outcome should PR wrest federal power, citing repeated examples of how the opposition pact's "populist policies" would only destroy Malaysia.
"You don't need to be a professor of politics to know that the whole idea of them working together is not because they possess a common agenda in terms of political philosphy - their only agenda is to win power.
"That's the reason why you notice they don't have a complete social economic programme, all they have until today are still populist policies," he said.
Dr Chua appeared confident when asked for his reading of the Chinese vote, only saying that this would not be the first time that his party was meeting DAP in an electoral battle.
He said MCA's efforts would also continue to reach the urban Chinese, which is seen as a segment of the community that is predominantly pro-opposition.
"It is a continuous effort, MCA never gives up on anybody. We are not the DAP who assume the Chinese have no other choice but to support them," he said.
"DAP has all the time been tellig the Chinese that this is the best opportunity to prove they are the kingmakers in this country. And this is wrong.
"Nobody is the kingmaker in this country. All the races have to work together to make this nation work and prosper," he added.
