The Wanita MCA 43rd Meeting of the General Assembly

Opening Speech by MCA Secretary General Chew Mei Fun

December 1st, 2018, 9am

San Choon Hall @ Wisma MCA

Dear Wanita MCA Chairman Datuk Heng Seai Kie,

The esteemed Wanita MCA Central Committee, and

My distinguished sisters-in-arms.

A very good morning to everyone.

Many thanks to Wanita MCA for bestowing me the opportunity to, once again, stand here and address the Wanita MCA General Assembly.

For the initial steps of my journey with MCA, I took it with Wanita MCA, having a part in the founding, promoting and shaping of Beliawanis MCA. All this while, Wanita MCA has nurtured me. Thanks to both Wanita MCA and MCA, I am able to adapt politics for the betterment of this multiracial country.

In attending today’s assembly, I found myself in quite a conundrum: I couldn’t quite well decide on whether to put on the yellow uniform of Wanita MCA, or the white attire of MCA. I understand that my sisters-in-arms would be overjoyed if they see me sporting yellow like everyone here, and there would be a sense of camaraderie. However, I opted for the white of MCA today because I want to reaffirm our sisters’ position in both party and society. Dear sisters, women are not solely confined to Wanita’s platform. Our party constitution does not discriminate against women. In fact, women are allowed more freedom and opportunities than our male counterparts in MCA. Women under 40 have three “role” options: Wanita, Youth, or even MCA. Sisters who are over 40 have the choice of joining the main body or the women’s wing; a liberty our men do not have. Given the abundance of space for us to shine, no one can fetter our progress. If women today remained stagnant, it is because of the restrains we place upon ourselves.

Dear sisters-in-arms, there is historical significance in this year’s assembly. First of all, Sdri. Nicole Wong, who debuted in Beliawanis MCA, has now become the first female Youth chief in MCA’s history. Secondly, we have our young tigeress, Chan Quin Er, who fearlessly contested for a spot in the MCA Central Committee and won. She is likely the youngest female Central Committee member ever elected since the inception of MCA. This speaks volumes about how far we can advance in MCA as long as we are willing, prepared and have the courage to shine; everyone can advance themselves in MCA. After all, the sky’s the limit, and you can fly as far and as high as you desire. However, we shall act wisely, and work to regain support by our own merits.

Dear sisters-in-arms, I must applaud Wanita MCA under the leadership of Datuk Heng Seai Kie which managed to maintain unity in the face of adversity. Regardless whether at the state or national stage, Wanita has managed to mobilise spectacularly. This is evidence that our sisters remain true-blue to the party. We choose to stay through thick and thin. This is the spirit that will revitalise MCA, and help us regain grassroots favour quickly.

Nonetheless, we must always be prepare for the worst; especially how our group is aging rather rapidly. The most active among us are the veterans. During general elections and by-elections, they are the ones who braved the hot sun, armed with nothing more than umbrellas, to help campaign votes for our candidates. Even when their legs became feeble, some clenched their teeth and insisted to continue. That is the kind of spirit that inspires admirations and touches peoples’ hearts.  In essence, we are still relying on the veterans as the backbone of our wing.

Dear sisters-in-arms, if the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government does not commit another U-turn, voting age would be lowered to 18 in the next general election, and we’ll face local council elections in three year’s time. Considering the coming of more young voters and that we need more talents to contest in local elections, the whole party including Wanita MCA, must reinvigorate, modernise and redevelop ourselves. We must inspire the youths to join us; and let those with the political aptitude and willingness to serve, in order to manifest themselves to the fullest.

Reinvigorating MCA can be managed from two aspects: quantity and quality. Currently, members under the age of 40 comprise only 13.68% of Wanita MCA, demonstrating the chronic aging problem we have at hand. We need to provide a platform that engages the Beliawanis, and enable their energy to steer us in this modern age. Let them propose their evolutionary, fresh yet practical plans to attract new and younger members. 

Currently Wanita MCA has an estimated 62,000 members below the age of 40. There is no doubt there’s a lot of hidden talents amongst us. We must start looking internally to discover them, and nurture them with channels to realise their full potentials, moulding them into impressive young women ready to lead society. Their advancement will help paint a much needed fresh image of Wanita MCA. 

Ladies, if the Pakatan Harapan government fulfills its pledge to hold local government elections within three years, there are 154 local councils nationwide based on the 2017 data, including 13 urban councils, 39 municipal councils, 97 city councils, and 5 management units of similar capacities. Meanwhile, there are a total of 450 Chinese New Villages.

According to the current Local Government Act 1976, each local council will have between 8 and 24 members. Based on the average at the existing 154 local councils, this means there are more than 2,500 local councillors nationwide. According to a verified 2010 report, only 9 out of 148 of the local governments are dominated by the Chinese (where it is the largest ethnic group), but each local government needs to be configured based on the principle of representation by every ethnic group. Therefore we foresee that the total number of candidates under the MCA ticket can add up to hundreds of people. Therefore, irrespective of the opportunity available to the youth, the roles of senior party members are still important. In other words, the future candidate pool must be a combination of the elder, middle-aged and youth, but without compromising on the candidate's ability and commitment to the party's principles and direction. Whether we meet the requirements of the times, the key is are we ready? And can we get local recognition.

Dear sisters-in-arms, we became an Opposition party after GE14. We have fallen from being a ruling party to the Opposition. We must self-reflect and adjust accordingly. We must fully adapt to the changes in the role of the times and prepare for local government elections and future general elections.

Wanita MCA at the State, division, branch and central levels should be different from one another. The branches must continue to consolidate the activities and strengths of grassroots through networking. It must also supervise and check the local governments continuously, as well as advocate issues-based service experience. We must revive the branches, connect the locals through them. Although we are no longer in power, and may not be able to resolve people’s problems directly, we can check the government on behalf of the people. This role is not just led by MCA, but must also be undertaken by Wanita MCA and MCA Youth.

For divisions and states, we must raise the bar on the political landscape. We must pay attention to local and state policies and developments. We must be professional in politics, mastering knowledge on issues, to effectively supervise while delivering check and balance.

In recent years, many capable women have spearheaded the social movements in our country, allowing for rapid progress. They played a major role in advocating leadership in public opinion and reform. Therefore, Wanita MCA’s Central Committee should actively engage and strengthen contacts and cooperation via social movements, especially female social movements, gaining strength from and complementing one another!

Dear sisters-in-arms, in times of need, let us take to the streets together to express our stand in a peaceful but firm manner for the benefit and well-being of the people in the country! Sisters, networking activities can help forge relationships, while well-founded actions can strengthen your philosophy and mission, enabling everyone to work together for ideal goals.

Dear sisters-in-arms, since we are now the opposition, let’s play the role well. We have an obligation to check the current Pakatan Harapan government. Moreover, on the path towards the full rejuvenation of MCA, we need to make a wholesome return to politics, become a highly efficient and constructive Opposition party, as well as implement the critical spirit of "effective supervision, rational check and balance”, and create a new political functionality of "constructive criticism”. We must keep ourselves up-to-date with all the country’s issues on politics, economy, culture, education, society, security, livelihood and development. Speak out against all the injustices, and at the same time, contribute constructive inputs. 

The first Budget tabled by the Pakatan government is unsatisfactory. Next year's economic growth is expected to be only 4.8%, which was downgraded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The slowdown in economic growth means that people’s income and need, including food, clothing, housing and transportation will be affected. The government must propose effective strategies and measures to improve the economic situation, and not simply shift the blame to the former government.

The main reason for the country’s economic slowdown is the dip in trade of the primary industries. The prices of palm oil, rubber and food products have been hit hard. Meanwhile, the price of edible oil has fallen to a new low since April 2009. The people’s income, in particular, the economic predicament of the primary industries’ producers, is not hard to imagine. Meanwhile, our Primary Industries Minister, Teresa Kok, has claimed to attract foreign investment by organising overseas missions, without any concrete results shown thus far.

The plummeting global crude oil prices, where Brent crude oil prices fell by 12.1% to US$58.80 per barrel, has led to the great reduction in the national revenue. The government has not put forward any solutions, nor did it consider lowering the retail price of petrol in the country. The government only said it may review the Budget should the national revenue further decline due to falling crude oil prices.

The Pakatan government has replaced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) with a Sales and Services Tax 2.0 (SST), which has not only reduced the national revenue by RM21 billion, but also affected the sustainable development of the country. In order to fill the gap in tax revenue, the government could only draw higher dividends from government-linked company (GLC), to support the alarming RM313 billion government’s expenditure. Petronas has again made the biggest contribution, besides distributing a total of RM54 billion in dividends to the government, it also issued another special dividend of RM30 billion. However, since the income source for Budget 2019 is calculated based on US$70 per barrel of crude oil, what contingency measures does the government have to deal with the decline of crude oil to US$58.80 per barrel? For every US$1 reduction in crude price, national revenue falls by RM300 million. How will this gap be filled? Obviously, the government has no solution, and can only demand that the people tighten their belts. Yet, funds from various Ministries had been mobilised to launch the unrealistic third national car plan.

There must be more comrades coming forward to speak for the people, supervise the government, and pressure it to improve the current environment. We do not need a government which is good at talking. We need a government which can do work, shoulder the burden, and seek a way out for the people. Pakatan government, you are already in power, please put up a good performance!

We must care about the difficulties faced by people in their daily lives under the current poor economic environment and weak government administration.

Dear sisters-in-arms, according to the International Monetary Fund research report, women’s participation in the workforce is good for the economic development. Therefore, almost all countries in the world focus on the development of female human capital. From 2010 to 2016, the number of Malaysian women employed grew at a rate of 4.5% per year while male employment grew 2%. In recent years, the contribution of female workers towards Malaysia’s economic growth has grown even faster - with average growth from real GDP rising from 4% between 2001 and 2008, and 14% between 2011 to 2016. At the same time, male contribution has increased from about 7% of the GDP to about 13% of GDP. If female labour participation rate did not change since 2012, the actual GDP in 2016 will be about 1% lower.

Ladies, women do not mind working hard for the country's economic development, as we want our families and children to enjoy a high quality of life. But I would like to remind the government, especially Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, that while the role of women in the country's economic development became more significant, their roles in families had not lessened in any way. Therefore, if the country's economic development is poor, the first to bear the brunt in terms of family spending and psychology will be women and mothers!

It is a pity that many Cabinet Ministers in the PH government are not addressing issues appropriately, only preferring to act as heroes by blaming the former BN administration. Our Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik is only preoccupied with the colours of school socks and shoes, and had requested hotels to open up their swimming pools for students to learn how to swim. But he has failed to fulfil PH’s promise to recognise the United Examinations Certificate (UEC). While claiming that teachers’ paperwork will be reduced, the “student reading interest assessment” data input work has been launched.

Deputy Education Minister Teoh Nie Cheng has become a "coconut bottle” (coconut in Hokkien is read as yea, and bottle sounds like betul in Malay. Together, it reads yea betul). She is reduced to only a yes-woman before the Education Minister. Minister of Primary Industries Teresa Kok is helpless in preventing the price of palm oil and rubber from dropping; Minister of Federal Territories Khalid Samad has failed to solve woes that besiege Kuala Lumpur. For instance, instead of addressing the acute problems of traffic congestion and home ownership, he is more keen at launching cryptocurrency Harapan Coin to bind voters and ensure that PH will continue to win in the next round. What is even more horrifying is that the Minister of Finance has turned a blind eye on resolving the problem of the depreciation of the Malaysian Ringgit or the slump in Bursa Malaysia. Instead, he abused his power and terminated the matching grant by the government to provide operating expenses to Tunku Abdul Rahman University College just to persecute MCA at the expense of students’ interests.

Lim Guan Eng degraded the promise from the BN government to TAR UC of an annual grant by alleging that it is simply a contract between Umno and MCA. He also regarded the MCA President’s criticism against his violation of the government commitment as a personal battle between him and Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. He took issue with the grievances voiced out by Dr Wee, refusing to meet him out of spite, treating national issues like children’s horseplay. Lim’s level of immaturity and tendency to act without thinking never fail to amaze.

Lim repeatedly threatened MCA to not raise varsity fees. He claimed, once MCA steps across the thin red line and sacrifices students’ welfare by hiking tuition fees, the Ministry of Finance will take a series of actions to deal with MCA. Notice how adept he is at distorting the issue. The man’s action brought us all here, yet he wants others to take responsibilities. Portraying himself as a saviour, he masks his arrogant and brutish behaviour. Deceiving people with a glance, he remains smug and is full of himself.

After failing to intimidate MCA with his threat, he attempts to sabotage the relationship between TAR UC Alumni and MCA. Lim entices all the Chinese community educational institutions with promises of fundings. The sort of behaviour where he wants to forcefully sever the ties between TAR UC and MCA is likened to an act of a brigand. He has snubbed the allocation for operating expenses as approved in black and white by the previous government. Even election pledges to recognise the UEC is being delayed. It is very strange that if some would still believe his words.

The problem currently faced by TAR UC today is actually government allocation for non-profit Chinese education institutions. This is power abuse by Lim Guan Eng and a flagrant violation of the government’s commitment to UTAR. Since Lim Guan Eng had constantly mentioned about institutionalising funding and his wish to allocate funds for Chinese-based higher institutions of learning ie. Southern University College, New Era University College and Han Chiang University College. I appeal to the Chinese community to take this opportunity to unite for TAR UC once and for all, appeal to the government and Lim Guan Eng to solve the issue of government allocation for all Chinese non-profit private education. We urge Lim Guan Eng to push through legislation in Parliament to clearly state the system for allocation. How will the amount be allocated and how much will be allocated? Is it a one-to-one matching grant, or emulate the government’s RM3.7billion to MARA or half that amount? This is because given the way in which Lim Guan Eng had back-pedalled in the past, only legislation is sufficient to ensure this.

Dear sisters-in-arms, a recently viral Whatsapp message was that ‘industry people agree that TAR UC and MCA are “out of sync” and TAR UC is advised to transform’. My colleagues and I who read the news sneered as it is akin to ‘someone who is uglier than you advising you to go for cosmetic surgery’ I dare not echo the views of this message, but as it became viral, and it has obviously resonated!

Dear sisters-in-arms, although TAR UC was founded by MCA, MCA has never interfered politically. The school’s administration is completely managed by its academic staff. In contrast, although some private universities were not founded by political parties, there are constant political activities. So, is the separation between politics and academia the reality that is occurring or is it the founder alone? The answer is obvious. Therefore, I appeal to Lim Guan Eng to spend more time on revitalising the national economy, rather than abusing his public power to distort right and wrong and suppress political opponents!

Dear sisters-in-arms, it is clear that Lim Guan Eng is exploiting the issue of TAR UC to persecute MCA, threatening us with power, and using hegemony to sever the links of the school founded by MCA from MCA. Therefore, we must be self-reliant. We cannot be discouraged; We must lift our morale. We cannot be vindictive, we must fight! My Sisters, let us stand behind the MCA President and give him full support. We have to see how long Lim Guan Eng can laugh in his own arrogance.

MCA’s renaissance requires the contribution of everyone. Let us all work together! I wish everyone a bountiful harvest, a life endowed with happiness and good health.

Thank you.