Dispute at MCA Unity Dinner escalates to physical altercation, resulting in injury to party member

SELANGOR, MALAYSIA: A ‘unity dinner’ organized by the political party Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) for its five party branches in the Selangor coastal zone unexpectedly turned ugly when a dispute broke out among party members, leading to a physical altercation and resulting in one member being injured and bleeding.

According to the Malaysian Chinese media outlet, Oriental Daily News, MCA, a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN), held the event in collaboration with five branches, including MCA Kapar, Gombak, Tanjong Karang, Klang, and Shah Alam.

The dinner took place at the Xian Fashi Gong Temple Hall in Sekinchan, Selangor, on Thursday (27 Jul), and was attended by a large number of participants.

Dato’ Seri Wee Ka Siong, the party President, was present as the guest of honor, along with several MCA central and state leaders, as well as chairpersons from other party branches in Selangor.

Based on viral video footage on social media, the altercation occurred between two party members in the audience while someone was giving a speech on stage.

Despite attempts to mediate, the situation escalated into a physical brawl, with chairs being thrown, resulting in one party member being injured.

Reportedly, the incident involved a representative, believed to be from the Sabak Bernam party branch, expressing dissatisfaction with the speech given by Datuk Song Kee Chai, the chairman of the Kapar branch, on stage.

The representative interrupted Song’s speech from the audience seat and only stopped after being advised by others, allowing Song to continue.

Afterward, Song and his team approached the representative to understand the situation, but unfortunately, the interaction led to a verbal altercation that escalated into a physical confrontation.

Dispute mars ‘Perseverance and Unity’ theme of the event

The theme of the event was “Perseverance and Unity,” aiming to showcase the spirit of perseverance and solidarity among MCA members.

However, the incident created an awkward and embarrassing atmosphere, contradicting the intended message of unity.

In response to the embarrassing incident on Thursday night, Ng Chok Sin (黄祚信), the Chairman of MCA Selangor Liaison Committee, expressed regret over the individual conflicts that arose during the dinner.

He told the media that he promptly visited the injured party members and conveyed his condolences and wishes for their speedy recovery.

He pointed out that MCA Selangor Liaison Committee will investigate the causes and consequences of the incident in collaboration with the relevant districts and submit the findings to the party’s central leadership for handling by the Party Disciplinary Committee.

“The occurrence of this incident is unfortunate for the party, and it has saddened all MCA members and supporters who cherish the party. ”

“No one wants to witness such negative internal conflicts again, and we must avoid any situation that harms the party,” he stated.

He also reminded all MCA district committees and members in Selangor to consider the party’s image, strictly abide by party discipline, and exercise self-discipline.

Mr Ng stressed that the party members should always uphold the party’s image with the highest level of self-discipline and a spirit of professional and responsible politics.

MCA gained two parliamentary seats in Malaysia’s 15th General Election

MCA had earlier announced their decision to skip the upcoming Six States Election which will be held on 12 August, as the party aims to focus more on preparing for the next General Election.

Malaysia has been embroiled in political turmoil for the past four years, culminating in the infamous “Sheraton Move” in 2020 that led to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government – which ended Barisan Nasional’s (BN) dominance in Malaysia that had lasted for over half a century.

Following the conclusion of the Malaysia 15th General Election (GE15) in November 2022, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s PH coalition garnered 82 parliamentary seats while Perikatan National (PN) led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin won 73 seats.

BN suffered its worst electoral outcome in history, securing only 30 seats out of the 177 seats contested.

UMNO won 26 out of 120 seats contested, while MCA gained only two seats out of 44 contested seats.