KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5— MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong today said that parties in the opposition cooperating with one another is a normal practice in Malaysian politics.
Wee was commenting on the recent PAS-Umno collaboration in the Cameron Highlands by-election.
Malaysiakini reported that the Ayer Hitam MP said the end goal for the opposition is to serve as check and balance of the government of the day.
"I personally think that even in the past, the opposition used to have some collaboration and cooperation.
"I don't see any difference when PAS was together with Pakatan Rakyat. DAP and even PAS worked very well," Wee told reporters when asked for his view on MCA's Barisan Nasional partner Umno forging closer ties with PAS in the upcoming Semenyih by-elections on March 2.
He also said PAS, PKR and DAP had worked together in the past during the Pakatan Rakyat days.
Wee recalled that in 2008 and 2013 General Elections, PAS, DAP and PKR had an understanding and did not contest in each other's seats.
"So (now) when two parties (BN and PAS) decide to send one candidate, it is the same thing. What's wrong with that?" he said when met at the MCA's Annual Chinese New Year open house earlier today.
Wee pointed out that it was important to see the difference between cooperation between opposition factions on certain issues and merging together as one.
"Those are two different things. If you fight for certain issues (together), it's for the good of the people.
"For instance, if a party said 'we want to fight corruption', I can't say we (MCA) have a different ideology and we should say otherwise.
"It's not like if you say 'A', I must say 'B'. So when there is a collaboration between opposition parties, that is nothing new and I don't see any problem," Wee said.
