The Islamist party’s deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man also posed a question as to whom the MCA would target for membership.
“Who is MCA hoping would be their ‘friend’? Those who support MCA but not Umno?
“Is there such a group?
“Well, with its support for Umno’s version of 1MDB issues, good luck,” he said when contacted by FMT.
English daily The Sun had yesterday reported MCA Youth Chief Chong Sin Woon as saying that the party was mulling a move to make it a multiracial one.
“Remaining a single-race party will eventually make MCA weak, when we try to get support (only) from the Chinese community, especially when Malaysia is a multiracial country that practises multiculturalism,” Chong was quoted as saying.
He also said the issue would be raised at the party’s annual general meeting and once agreed upon, the party constitution would be amended to facilitate the taking in of non-Chinese as associate members.
To this, Tuan Ibrahim said the concept of “associate membership” had been a long-standing practice in PAS, especially with the formation of the PAS Supporters Club.
The Club later expanded into the Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS (DHPP), meant solely for its non-Muslim supporters.
“Once upon a time, PAS was criticised for forming DHPP. Now MCA is employing the same idea,” said Tuan Ibrahim.