The MCA presidential council is backing its president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's call for the party to give up all government posts if the Chinese community did not support its candidates in the next general election.
Dr Chua said the decision was taken after much consideration as this was to show our respect to the electorate, especially the Chinese community, hence we will turn down any offer for Government positions, he told reporters after the meeting at a resort here.
The event also saw the congregation of party grassroots leaders who attended a brainstorming camp that was held simultaneously with the meeting.
Dr Chua said the party would use the result of 2008 general election as a baseline to determine if it should decline any position offered by the Barisan Nasional leadership.
Currently, the party has 15 MPs, 31 state assemblymen and scores of local councillors and village headmen.
Barisan allotted 40 parliamentary seats and 90 state seats to the MCA in the 2008 general election.
Dr Chua said MCA would continue to be in Barisan even if the party's performance in the next general election is dismal.
“Our stand is to be with Barisan through thick and thin. We also are very confident in our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's leadership,” he said.
Dr Chua said MCA was backing the economic transformation and 1Malaysia vision spearheaded by the Prime Minister.
He said the decision on relinquishing all positions will be brought to the party's AGM on Oct 2.
“We want tell our members that to win back the confidence of voters, we have to improve,” he said.
Dr Chua said the decision had nothing to do with the poor support the Barisan received in the Sarawak election.
“I am elaborating in the context of penin-sula, we have to double our efforts to win back the heart of voters,” he added.
