MCA’s decision not to join the Cabinet if it fared worse than the 2008 general election was a scare tactic that some MCA leaders had thought would work on the Chinese community in the 2013 general election.
But the 2013 general election result proved how wrong they were. The Chinese voters were not concerned about whether MCA is represented in the Cabinet.
The reason is simple. MCA is a failed party and its position in the BN government has always been in office but not in power.
If MCA is a party with dignity and truly respects the wishes of the Chinese voters, then it should continue to stay out of the Cabinet.
But the position crazy party, despite having been reduced to a 7 -11 party, has been eager to rejoin the Cabinet.
By rejoining the Cabinet, MCA is in fact going back on its word and will only become a laughing stock.
But does MCA care about credibility or worry about becoming a laughing stock?
Former MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said two days ago that the Kajang by-election could be used as a referendum on whether the Chinese want the party to represent them in the cabinet.
Chua knows better that MCA central leadership will not listen to him.
It is obvious that the key reason why MCA is rushing to decide to rejoin the Cabinet is because it is not confident at all that it is able to regain the lost Chinese confidence and support in the Kajang by election.
MCA President Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said on January 19 that MCA was in no hurry to rejoin the Cabinet.
But he knows very well that if MCA fares worse in the Kajang by election, his rival factions will use the worse performance as a reason to justify the necessity for MCA to continue to stay out of Cabinet.
Chua Soi Lek also said that he did not believe having one or two ministers or deputies will change MCA fortune or that the party will regain Chinese support.
I say even if given 4 Ministers, MCA will still be in office but not in power. ( dang jia bu dang quan)