KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Like a moderately successful singer past his prime, MCA may be on its way to a life of singing on cruise ships.

The party got thrashed in the general election last May, leaving it with just seven seats in Parliament. So when the party ruled itself unfit for Cabinet, its stand for integrity­­­­­­­­ ha­d seemed almost brave.

Not any more.

1. Survival is everything

MCA’s resolve crumbled this weekend when a specially convened meeting resulted in a policy U-turn. MCA can now take up Cabinet posts, members voted nearly unanimously. Faced with the prospect of political irrelevance, the party is floundering. Having a minister in Cabinet, however undeserving he or she might be, could still be the party’s best hope for survival.

2. Stuck in no man’s land

Outside BN, where can MCA go? Ethnic Chinese voters have lost faith in the BN coalition which has ruled the country since independence. MCA is seen as guilty by association.

They feel that by staying part of BN, MCA has sold them out. The rise of stridently pro-Malay groups with the tacit approval of Umno has left MCA stranded in a political no man’s land.

MCA pipes up now and then to air its message on important issues like minority rights, but its voice is small and undermined by the lack of support from the very people it is trying to represent.  

Umno dominates BN but also needs Chinese representation. MCA must make the most of that knowledge.

3. A viable alternative

Unlike MCA, Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese minority do have somewhere to go. The DAP brand is strong, thriving and, crucially, still seen as the alternative Chinese party despite its moves to become more inclusive.  

Penang, led by DAP’s Lim Guan Eng, is held up as a beacon of economic prosperity. DAP’s key leaders are media savvy and have been able to present a united front with strong, coherent messages.

By contrast, MCA appears unfocused. As long as Malaysia’s political landscape isn’t much changed, MCA’s losses will be DAP’s gains.