IF YOU'RE a regular viewer of ntv7 news presentation (be it in Mandarin, English or Bahasa Melayu) you will notice that in each bulletin every day we ask viewers to take part in opinion poll via SMS. A question based on a report more often than not, carried in the bulletin will be asked and viewers can answer via text message. It's a simple yes or no answer. For example "should MCA hold unity talks with the DAP"? Or "should the Perak state assembly be dissolved"?
Why do we do this? Well for starters to make some money. Not much but I'll be lying if I say financial gains is not a reason. The more viewers respond the better. So to make sure good viewer participation the question must be "catchy" something which can grab the viewers' attention and one which people can relate to. Sometimes we run the poll for fun. Like asking who will win a big football match which will be telecast live later in the evening. Matches featuring Manchester United, Liverpool Arsenal, Barcelona usually bring in the SMSess.
On a serious note we ask serious questions to give the public an avenue to air their views and for the authorities to listen to the voice of the rakyat.
That's us. But what about the MCA? Why did the party ask the rakyat should the party leave the BN? The question as we know, was posted in the MCA president's blog. Over a thousand respondents said YES. The MCA should part ways with BN, they said. As expected that question attracted attention and various interpretations. Some in UMNO see it as a "threatening gesture" towards the BN. But BN Chairman, viewed the poser as "academic." The MCA leadership echoed Datuk Seri Najib Razak's statement. So "academic" it is.
Now what? Should the MCA listen to the wishes of the folks who said yes? No not really you might say as only over a thousand people wanted MCA out of BN. A thousand out of the millions of Malaysians is "negligible." It's not a referendum. True. But why ask in the first place if the voices of the respondents are not to be heard.
So it's back to "academic." Some say the MCA never intended to leave the BN fold. The poser was just to gauge the sentiment of the people. The Chinese in particular. Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, the MCA president himself admitted the question was relevant "at that time." He was refering to post March 8 general election.
With the result, came the reason. Surely MCA leaders and members know why the one thousand over folks said what they said. That could only mean MCA must act to "rectify the problems" which prompted people to answer yes.
Will MCA take the results of the "academic exercise," work it out and right the wrongs? They ought to and I feel they want to. But can they do it? Can they rid themselves of all the things the MCA were "associated" with in the past? All the "misdeeds," "lack of action" and what have you which made many a Chinese turn their backs on the party.
More than a year has gone by since the March 8 election.There are efforts of course. Has the much talked about rebranding worked? Have the party gained lost ground? And has the "academic exercise" been put to good use?
(MOHSIN ABDULLAH is Editor-in-Chief, News and Current Affairs, ntv7 & 8TV)
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