The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) has been in the news lately for its sharp criticisms of Minister of Tourism and Culture Nazri Aziz over his attack on Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, including calling the businessman a “sissy”.

What caught the eye was the charge by MCA President and Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai over the weekend that Mr Nazri was “colluding with the opposition”.

The public spat between two ministers from Barisan Nasional has laid bare the rifts within the ruling coalition on the race issue.

In the upcoming election, both parties will need to do deep calculations about accommodating their allies to keep the alliances intact while not displaying a submissive image within the coalition, which will cost them support from Chinese voters.

At stake is a ruling multi-ethnic alliance to serve the interests of all Malaysians.

…Chan Xin Ying is a Research Analyst with the Malaysia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.

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