Sharing of Power, Decision and Policy Making among BN Partners

Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had boldly spoken. Bravo!!
Most Chinese in Malaysia could see that although MCA is the second biggest component in Barisan Nasional, UMNO has been playing Big Brother role. To the general public, UMNO has been dictating on countless policies. Some UMNO Leaders had also spoken sensitive without due consideration to MCA and the Chinese population, in particular during Pak Lah’s term as Prime Minister.
Barisan Nasional is a coalition of political parties, which was originated started in the form of Perikatan. Perikatan was a coalition of UMNO, MCA and MIC. Power sharing, decision making sharing, are policies making sharing are essential for effective coalition cooperation.
Consultative effort among the BN component parties should be made before a major policy change is done, especially if the policy may affect a certain ethnic group.
Yes, there should be more EQUALITY among the BN partners. UMNO should not appear to be domineering, simply because they win more seats, they are Malays.


Monday June 21, 2010
Treat Barisan partners equally
By SARBAN SINGH newsdesk@thestar.com.my

PORT DICKSON: All component parties in Barisan Nasional must be treated as equal partners if the coalition wants its transformation process to work, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

“Barisan leaders should also have mutual respect for one another, and their input given serious thought to show that no party is dominant in Barisan,” he added.
Dr Chua said this was important as some leaders tended to be insensitive to views made by leaders of other component parties.
“There is this perception that whatever decision made by one dominant party (in Barisan) must be accepted by the rest. The Opposition is very good at exploiting such issues and we (Barisan component members) are perceived as unequal partners.
“Barisan leaders must realise that the political landscape has changed and people have become more sensitive about their rights,” he told reporters at the end of a brainstorming camp for MCA national leaders here.
Dr Chua said since both the Prime Minister and his deputy were from Umno, there was always this question on how to accord mutual respect, and how important were the roles played by the other component parties in the coalition.
He added that the days of one party taking the lead and the others merely taking orders were over.
“We must always work as a team and our cooperation must be mirrored in everything that we do,” he said.
Dr Chua said that it was time all component parties were made to work together and given roles in every project or activity. Such cooperation, he added, should not only be seen during the general or by-elections.
He said the MCA also fully supported the need to transform the coalition, as suggested by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
On the MCA, he said critics should stop branding the party as one that only fought for the rights of the Chinese.
“Times have changed. We fight for the rights of every Malaysian, and it includes issues on education, job opportunities and the economy,” he said.
On the three-day camp attended by the party’s top hierarchy, MPs and state assemblymen as well as its national-level Wanita and Youth committee members, Dr Chua said several experts were invited to speak on issues such as the New Economic Model, new media, new voters and the direction of the party.
Dr Chua said the participants agreed to appoint a consultant to find ways to counter allegations made by the Opposition through new media.
“This is important as we have not been able to effectively counter the lies spread by the Opposition in the new media,” he said.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/21/nation/6512428&sec=nation