MCA Party Elections: Political-Speak

The MCA internal elections are back again. Quite a few high profile faces are facing challenges, although this time around things are not as spicy as the last elections involving the ‘MCA & MCB’ factions.

Support for MCA, just like politics in Malaysia, has seen waning support from the urban English speaking Chinese. Not because MCA is becoming unpopular, more because the younger generation are less socio-politically conscious, having more things to occupy their short attention span.

Anyway, as is the norm with Malaysian political party elections, the players will always use the same old tried and tested political-speak, which we will inevitably read in the papers (most of them not limited to MCA only, applicable to ALL Malaysian parties):

• “I did not want to contest, but the requests to run for election from my grassroot support level was overwhelming…”
  
  
• “So-and-so is too old and its time for him/her to step down to make way for younger leaders/newer blood.”
  
  
• The inevitable mention of the following issues/terms: ‘money politics’, ‘UTAR’, ‘underhand tactics’, ‘yam seng dinners’, ‘last minute campaigning’, etc.
  
  
• Plenty of snappy and quotes from ‘political analyst’, ‘party insider’ or ‘one leader’ all who refuse to be named.
  
  
• The inevitable mention of the infamous defamatory ‘surat layang’ or ‘SMS layang’ (actually this tactic is more popular in another party)
  
  
• “The fact that there is a contest for the vice-presidents’ post shows that democracy is alive and well in the party…”
  
  
• None of the politicians will ever dare to mention our PM’s (or DPM’s) name.
  
  
• Politician X is disappointed in losing the elections but accepts the decision of the delegates. He is also ready to work together with the winner, Politician Y.
  
  
• “Our party election is like a fish head…”
  
  
• And when the elections are over and the dust has settled, the president will say, “It’s time to close ranks and work together for the sake of party unity.” (Only they won’t, grudges are borne until the next election…)
  

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