Call For Second Deputy Prime Minister
In October 2008, Dato Liow Tiong Lai who was then the outgoing National Youth Chief of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) raised the prospect of a second Deputy Chairman of Barisan Nasional to be appointed from among its component parties. The call was made at the MCA's internal party elections. As the Deputy Chairman of Barisan Nasional would be appointed the Deputy Prime Minister, it would mean creating a second Deputy Prime Minister position for Malaysia. Observers felt that Liow's proposal was simply a gimmick for him to win the internal MCA party elections.
While MCA accepted UMNO's leadership of the Barisan Nasional coalition, MCA felt that its seniority in the coalition should be reflected through a second Deputy Chairman's position that would be filled by MCA. Liow said, "MCA is the second largest component party. The proposed deputy president should be represented by the MCA."
Various MCA leaders backed Liow's proposal. Dato Wee Ka Siong who was the incoming MCA youth chief (then), said: "It (Barisan top leadership) must be well represented. We don’t want to see any kind of perception that Barisan is nominated by one or two parties. We don’t want to paint a picture where Barisan is dominated by one party and its decisions are accepted by the rest." Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, MCA's deputy president (then) said: "The history in Barisan Nasional shows that there is no hard and fast rule that only the senior leaders of any party can automatically assume the positions in the coalition. Tan Sri Michael Chen (a former MCA deputy president) was the Barisan Nasional secretary-general in 1974."
In response to Liow's call, the Deputy Prime Minister (then) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said, "The present Barisan setup is still workable. There is a history behind why the Barisan chairman is the Prime Minister and the deputy chairman is the Deputy Prime Minister and all the heads of the component parties become vice-chairmen. Since 1974 when Barisan was formed, it has been working very well. I don’t think it is correct to say you cannot express your views because your post is only a vice-chairman. Sometimes you come and don’t say anything at all, then even if you become deputy, it’s useless."
Liow had planned to raise the issue at the Barisan Nasional level after the MCA had approved it. After winning his internal party elections, Liow, who had become the new MCA Vice President said: "One step at a time. Let us reform Barisan first. We reform Barisan, (and only) then we will reform the government."
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