MCA-Pas cooperation could restore political balance - Zaid Ibrahim

SHAH ALAM - Cooperation between MCA and Pas could restore the country's political balance, similar to the arrangement that existed under the Alliance Party in the 1960s.

Former Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said MCA should take a more strategic view of the country's political developments, particularly as the Malay community increasingly gravitates towards Pas.

Zaid, who is also a Pas member, said the growing tendency among Malays to become more inward-looking and focus solely on their own community would not be good for the country.

"MCA should look at Malaysian politics from a strategic perspective. If Malays are increasingly leaning towards Pas and showing signs of becoming more inward-looking, that is not good for the country.

"Therefore, cooperation between MCA and Pas would restore the balance that once existed under the Alliance Party in the 1960s," he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Zaid also revealed that he had met the MCA president over coffee two years ago and tried to persuade the leader to consider cooperating with Pas for the country's future.

However, he said that although the MCA president at the time had expressed willingness to discuss the matter with the party's leadership, there had been no further developments following the meeting.

Meanwhile, he claimed that DAP had succeeded in instilling fear of Pas among the Chinese community, but MCA had shown no willingness to challenge that perception.

"I thought a mature party like MCA would be able to overcome that obstacle, but it has not even tried.

"Instead, it continues to remain with a party that champions Malay supremacy, does not respect MCA, offers no reforms and has lost considerable support among the Malays," he alleged.

Zaid also said that MCA was more comfortable maintaining its old approach than attempting to counter DAP's narrative portraying Pas as a dangerous party.

"It is easier to continue with the old approach and simply accept DAP's portrayal that the Chinese community is easily deceived and unable to judge Pas's true nature.

"Pas is a dangerous party - that is all DAP can tell the Chinese community, while MCA does not feel the need to challenge that narrative," he alleged.

He said the country needed a Chinese political bloc that was more discerning in its judgement and demonstrated humility