KOTA KINABALU, Sept 6 — MCA will be fielding candidates in the upcoming 17th Sabah state election with the party president, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, affirming its commitment to contest under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner.
“My message today is simple as we approach the 17th State Election in Sabah. We hope all component parties of Barisan Nasional can unite and show our spirit to defend and achieve success in this PRN. That is our hope, and MCA will contest together with Barisan Nasional, as we are part of this harmonious family,” Wee told a press conference after officiating the Sabah MCA annual general convention here on Saturday.
He stressed that MCA’s focus is on ensuring victory through teamwork within BN.
“We want to ensure that we help each other, and what is important is that we secure victory. We ask for the prayers and blessings of the people of Sabah to give us their support. We appeal sincerely,” he said.
Wee disclosed that candidate selection for Sabah MCA had already gone through the screening process.
However, he declined to reveal the number of candidates or constituencies that MCA is eyeing.
“It is not my style, and it has been this way since I joined politics. I will not give you the range of how many people or how many seats that we will contest in. Once it is concluded, then you will know. It is only fair. It is still premature to say anything,” he explained.
The MCA president emphasised that the party’s strength in Sabah lies in its 36,000 members, many of whom have remained loyal since MCA first set foot in the state more than three decades ago.
He added that a younger generation of leaders has now stepped forward to continue the party’s struggle.
“We have given Sabah MCA autonomy. They can manage themselves, and I believe this formula, which has been in practice since 2018, works well. The divisions themselves decide who should lead them, and they also hold discussions, make resolutions, and bring them to me for final discussion,” said Wee.
He also acknowledged the unique political dynamics in Sabah, where allies in government often find themselves competing against one another during elections.
“In the same government, everyone is friends. But when the state election comes, friends become rivals because each will contest even though we sit together in the same unity government,” he noted.
On the party’s readiness, Wee maintained that Sabah MCA has been actively strengthening its grassroots machinery over the years, particularly in areas where it plans to contest.
“First of all, we need to beef up our organisation. For the last few years, I think they have been doing a good job at the grassroots. They have been very active, as well as in some of the areas that we would like to contest. So you can see, they have been working consistently in the areas that they intend to contest,” he said. — The Borneo Post
