Don't blame BN for your failure to carry out reforms, MCA man tells PH

MCA has rubbished the notion that Barisan Nasional (BN) is to blame for the government's failure since its inception after the 2022 polls to implement critical reforms under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – a figure long associated with the reformasi movement.

The claim is commonly propagated by supporters of Pakatan Harapan (PH), the biggest party in the government. They say the administration formed in the aftermath of the election to break the impasse caused by the hung Parliament is not a PH government but a coalition government, formed from a variety of groups including parties from BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Gagasan Rakyat Sabah.

According to them, this is why PH has been unable to fulfil its promises of reform.

But for Neow Choo Seong, information chief of MCA's youth wing, it is unacceptable to make BN the scapegoat.

Neow, who contested for BN in Taiping at the 15th general election, said the main offices in heavily criticised ministries – including the home ministry and communications ministry – are held by leaders from Anwar's own party PKR.

"The power is in the hands of PH leaders," he told MalaysiaNow.

"It is just an excuse to say that reforms cannot be carried out because of the presence of other parties.

"The unity government was formed as a collective, so those who are in the Cabinet must take responsibility for the decisions made at that level."

"Back then, there was all sorts of slander like the linking of Altantuya with Najib. But we never arrested anyone. These laws were not widely used during BN's time in power, to the point that BN leaders were caricatured as clowns."

PH, during its time in the opposition, had vowed to implement a slew of reforms including the abolition of laws seen as draconian such as the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

However, such legislation was instead strengthened under Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, both of whom are members of PKR.

Most recently, the government amended the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA), sparking criticism from human rights groups which said the changes were regressive.

Neow said that BN on its own had a good record in implementing changes, citing the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) under the administration of Najib Razak, and the move to abolish the requirement for media companies and publishers to renew their permits on an annual basis.  

The ISA was replaced by the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act or Sosma which, according to Neow, was the best in BN's opinion at the time.

Sosma was among the laws that PH had wanted to repeal. However, it remains in use to this day.

Neow said BN often provided suggestions but they were not necessarily implemented given the government's character as a political coalition.

"When issues arise, we want improvements but these matters are beyond our scope of influence," he said.

Neow also said that BN, during its time in government, had been the target of smear campaigns by the opposition.

He said while BN understood that the amendments to the CMA were aimed at combating cyber crimes, it was possible to limit the freedom of speech through subjective terms that could be open to interpretation.  

"There is room for manipulation," he added. "Who is the communications minister or the deputy minister? Surely responsibility for this cannot be dumped on BN.

"Back then, there was all sorts of slander like the linking of Altantuya with Najib. But we never arrested anyone.

"These laws were not widely used during BN's time in power, to the point that BN leaders were caricatured as clowns."

Neow was referring to the satirical work of activist Fahmi Reza, who was recently the subject of a police investigation over a graphic linked to Sabah's newest governor, Musa Aman.

Fahmi is being investigated under the very CMA which PH had wanted to abolish.

Neow, who was also previously the communications director for BN Youth, said the coalition had always played the role of check and balance within the government. He referred to leaders such as MCA president Wee Ka Siong who had spoken on issues like the cost of goods, to the point of sparking an argument with PH MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said BN leaders had also issued statements in response to "insensitive" remarks from DAP or the opposition.

"Otherwise, we would be called Umdap," he said, referring to the moniker given to Umno after its collaboration with PH to form the government.