MCA needs more young members for party rejuvenation, says Dr Wee

SEREMBAN: The MCA should prioritize the recruitment of young members as part of its efforts to rejuvenate the party, according to Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. The MCA president believes that having more young members will not only provide a line of succession but also enable the party to better address the issues faced by the youth.

“Currently, the majority of our members are above 40 years old, accounting for about 90% of our membership. If we want to remain relevant and understand the problems of the younger generation, we need to rejuvenate,” Dr Wee said during the opening of the Negri Sembilan MCA convention here.

Dr Wee emphasized that it is crucial to recruit young members who may not be politically inclined but can contribute through various programs and activities offered by the party. For instance, the Crisis Relief Squad Malaysia (CRSM) unit was established to assist flood victims and others facing hardship.

“Young members, including professionals and graduates, can start as volunteers. Those who prefer not to engage politically can participate in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), public speaking, educational workshops, or community-related work,” he added. The responsibility for recruiting young members is delegated to the party’s Youth and Women’s wings.

Dr Wee also highlighted the importance of attracting young members, emphasizing that the legal voting age has been lowered to 18. “We should target them once they leave school. Young people with strong social media skills can help us better understand the perspective of younger Malaysians,” he stated. Dr Wee himself utilizes platforms like TikTok to stay connected with the masses.

The MCA president also emphasized the need to train young members with excellent public speaking skills and general knowledge to effectively counter falsehoods. Additionally, although MCA has chosen not to participate in the upcoming state elections, Dr Wee stated that the party will work tirelessly to campaign for Barisan Nasional candidates as a way to reciprocate the support Barisan provided during the Johor election.

Highlighting an example, Dr Wee mentioned that Barisan members had assisted in winning back the Yong Peng seat, which MCA lost to the DAP in the 2018 polls. “When our Barisan friends came and helped us campaign, we managed to reclaim the seat,” he added.