Having decided not to contest the state elections, MCA and MIC must initiate their political reform and revitalization agendas that will eventually impart a “refreshing and healthy” new image for the parties five years down the road.

MCA and MIC simultaneously announced that they would not contest the six state elections to be held on August 12.

The reasons cited by MCA’s secretary-general Chong Sin Woon and his MIC counterpart RT Rajasekaran are quite consistent, i.e. the two parties have decided to skip the state elections after discussions by their central committees, and will instead focus on revitalizing and reforming the parties in preparation for the next general election.

Could it be that the two parties have made the decision because of unfair seat allocation? We don’t quite think this way!

BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said he will respect the decision of MCA and MIC not to contest the state elections.

While there are reasons for the two parties not to field any candidate in the upcoming state election, it is unnecessary for the rest of us to make guesses.

As anticipated, the seats left by the two parties will be taken over by Umno.

Meanwhile PM Anwar Ibrahim has thanked MCA and MIC for their pledged assistance and support for the unity government even if they won’t take part directly in the elections.

He also says while the “Malay Proclamation” of PN and Tun Mahathir is to defend their own interests, the unity government’s duty is to save the country and her people.

As for DAP, the former sworn enemy now a partner in the government, sec-gen Anthony Loke says he respects the stance of MCA and MIC, and that the PH will not interfere in the two parties’ internal affairs.

Loke believes the two parties’ leaders have made the decision after giving it a thoughtful consideration. He also says DAP will give its best shot in the coming weeks to face the state elections in order to make sure that the unity government’s candidates win.

Back to the reality, if we were to inspect the 245 state assembly six of these six states, we should be able to note that MCA won none in the 2018 general election, while MIC managed to win a single seat in Negeri Sembilan.

With PH and BN now forging an alliance, there are limited seats available for individual parties in the unity government.

Even if MCA and MIC get to contest in the state elections, one thing we can be sure is that they won’t get to field candidates in safe seats, and may have to be contented to run in Malay constituencies against either Bersatu or PAS.

Given the prevailing political climate in the country, these two parties should count their blessings if they manage to retain their deposits, if they were to contest.

If they are only offered seats unwanted by PH and Umno, then it would be better off for them to skip the elections altogether, just to save some dignity for themselves.

For sure there might be dissident voices within the two parties for not taking part in the elections. But if they appear losers before even going into the battlefield, the parties will only get completely sidelined, losing an important platform to serve the voters, while high-caliber leaders and members will abandon the parties knowing very well they will not get a chance to run in the election.

In short, any negative consequences could happen to these two parties now, but as long as their reputation is not destroyed, they will still have chances in future.

MCA, in particular, has been a component part of the government for many years but is now seeing its support base significantly thinned down.

No one would have imagined that PH and BN would tie up, before last year’s general election, or PN/PAS having a leg into Putrajaya. And since a unity government has been successfully put up, DAP and MCA should put aside their differences instead of remaining at loggerheads.

Now that it is in government, DAP should realize that becoming government is not as easy as they have thought. But with four cabinet ministers and 40 MPs, they should be strong enough to help propel the nation forward, as many Malaysians have expected from them.

Be it DAP or MCA, being Chinese-dominant parties they have been constantly given a bad name by the likes of Tun M, Muhyiddin Yassin and Hadi Awang. With these people readily manipulating sensitive issues, it will be very hard for the non-Malays, even if they fully support multiculturalism or profess themselves as true Malaysians. That’s why we have the “Malay Proclamation.”

We have to admit that politics is akin to walking on a tightrope, but in today’s Malaysia, some of the politicians no longer treasure the intercommunity harmony we have been embracing and enjoying for decades, as they avidly sow the seed of distrust and hatred among the people in a bid to win the election.

Time has changed. It is imperative for DAP, MCA and MIC to clearly identify the roles they are going to play in the days to come.

Sure enough they cannot initiate something like a “Non-Malay Proclamation” as a counter-measure, but at least they can cling onto the middle path to ensure peaceful coexistence of different ethnic communities living in this country.

It is hoped that as MCA and MIC decide not to run in the state elections, they will help consolidate an impression of enhanced national unity for the unity government, while launching their respective 5-year political reform and revitalization agendas that will eventually impart a “refreshing and healthy” new image for the parties.