KUALA LUMPUR – Although they are supposed to work hand-in-hand as allies under the unity government led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP and MCA are once again in conflict.
In the latest saga, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh’s political secretary, Yap Yee Vonne, fired back at MCA Youth information chief Neow Choo Seong for urging the minister to step down.
Yee Vonne criticised Choo Seong’s earlier comments as being rooted in political nostalgia and not accurate after he questioned Hannah for “shirking responsibility”, following Harimau Malaya coach Peter Cklamovski’s comments, which hinted at internal issues within the national football setup.
The MCA rep argued that Hannah should intervene directly instead of deflecting to the Sports Dispute Committee or sports bodies themselves.
In a strongly worded statement today, Yee Vonne slammed Choo Seong, who is also Barisan Nasional Youth communications director, for holding onto old-fashioned beliefs that ministers had total control, and she denounced his request for Hannah to resign, calling it a mere “political stunt.”
“Perhaps Choo Seong is more comfortable with the old style where ministers could issue top-down orders and everyone followed like puppets. Sorry, those days will not return under Hannah’s leadership,” said Yee Vonne.
She also said the ministry respects the autonomy of national sports associations and cited both the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and FIFA statutes that prohibit third-party interference in internal governance matters.
“Internal matters should be addressed by FAM, not the minister. If Choo Seong can’t accept the statutes of the national association, he should at least familiarise himself with FIFA’s,” she said, quoting directly from the governing body’s independence clauses.
At the same time, in response to Choo Seong’s assertion that the Malaysian contingent has not had any notable achievements, Yee Vonne highlighted recent successes in badminton, sepaktakraw, lawn bowls, tenpin bowling, and motorcycling.
“To dismiss these achievements is not only inaccurate but also deeply unfair to the dedication and hard work of our athletes,” she said.
“By all means, be a critic, but don’t be lazy with your facts. If your intention is merely to craft a political stunt, maybe start with a more principled campaign.”
Yee Vonne also questioned Choo Seong’s conduct as a public servant, saying it was highly inappropriate for a special officer to one minister (deputy prime minister II) to publicly call for the resignation of another.
“Choo Seong is the clear manifestation of the split personality of MCA in today’s Madani government,” she said. – June 26, 2025