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

An analyst has warned that an MCA representative's social media post regarding a state executive council decision to remove Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as Yang Dipertuan Besar could harm the party's standing among Malay voters, according to the FMT. Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri, from Global Asia Consulting, explained that Siow Kong Choon, a member of Penang's legislative assembly, shared the announcement on social media.

While acting in his exco capacity, Siow's non-Malay political standing could be exploited to fuel racial narratives, according to Sabri. The analyst cautioned that the controversy could lead to fearmongering among Malays, resulting in perceptions of non-Malays in the political arena needing to be wary of Malays. Sabri cautioned that a single politician's actions could be projected onto the party, coalition, and non-Malay communities.

The controversy began in April when four undangs, with three of their legitimacy disputed by the state's Dewan Keadilan dan Undang, announced Tuanku Muhriz's purported removal. Several exco members backed the decision on September 16, recognizing Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the new Negeri Sembilan ruler. However, the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang rejected the exco's stance, though the state's menteri besar later confirmed the decision's unanimous agreement at an exco meeting.

The Attorney-General's Chambers dismissed the exco's announcement as having no legal effect, prompting the state secretary's office to withhold gazetting the proclamation.