MCA exco man’s actions could fuel racial narratives, says analyst

An MCA executive member's social media post regarding the purported removal of Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan could potentially backfire, warns an analyst. Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri, a consultant from Global Asia Consulting, expressed concern over Siow Kong Choon's actions, emphasizing that his position as a non-Malay politician could be exploited to fuel racial narratives.

He cautioned that the perception of non-Malays meddling in Malay affairs could trigger fearmongering among Malays, leading to long-lasting political ramifications. The controversy arose from an announcement made by four undangs, three of whose legitimacy is contested by the state's Dewan Keadilan dan Undang, in April. Siow subsequently shared the proclamation on social media in September, with several other BN representatives and Pakatan Harapan figures backing the claim.

However, the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang subsequently rejected the MCA's stance, though the state's chief minister later confirmed it had been unanimously agreed upon at an exco meeting. The Attorney-General's Chambers subsequently ruled the MCA's announcement as having no legal effect, causing the state secretary's office to withhold gazetting the proclamation.

Experts caution that while Siow's actions need not necessarily harm MCA, they could potentially provoke racial tensions, which may ultimately affect the party, the coalition, and non-Malay communities.