12 theSun | THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2009

INTERVIEWS VIEWS Conversations

Keeping MCA on the straight and narrow

THE POLITICAL SCENARIO HAS CHANGED
SINCE THE GENERAL ELECTION LAST
YEAR. IN ORDER FOR MCA TO CONTINUE
TO SURVIVE, SOME OF ITS MEMBERS
HAVE TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO “SAVE”
THE PARTY. MCA INTEGRITY WATCH
GROUP (IWG) CHAIRPERSON DR
DAPHNE LOKE IN AN EMAIL INTERVIEW
TELLS GIAM SAY KHOON HOW THE
GROUP WILL COMPLEMENT THE NEW
LEADERSHIP UNDER DATUK SERI ONG
TEE KEAT TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED
TRANSFORMATION OF THE PARTY.

A
T a press conference during
the launch of the group last
year, you told us the idea to
set up the group came at a coffee
session. Why is this particular
group so concerned about MCA?
We live in interesting times. MCA
experienced a major setback in
March last year and to many critics,
is facing irrelevancy. What we know
is that if we continue doing the same
things, we are going to get the same
results. Yes, we have new leaders
in the party following the (party)
elections but our efforts will
complement the leadership. I think
any responsible leader should be
open to fresh ideas and even criticism
from party members and profession-
als. We had a choice. To either sit
back or at least do our part to make a
positive difference to the party.
Do you think that the party has
come to a stage where it needs
reminders from its members?
I don’t think the word “reminder” best
describes our watch group’s mission.
Suggestions for improvements and
criticism have always been there
– some official and some not, some
reach party leadership and others
get lost in transmission. What we
want to establish here is to provide
a constructive and positive sounding
board by professional MCA members
that we hope will resonate with the
leadership and members.
Why is this happening now?
As I said, we live in interesting times.
It’s a challenging period for the party
but we see hope. The party needs
new and better ideas from good
people. We see a space for us to con-
tribute to the party as professionals in
various fields such as law, medicine,
engineering and education.
When you said, “It’s a challeng-
ing period for the party but we
see hope”, do you agree that a
political party will not change by
itself until it is “punished”?
Punish would be too strong a word. It
is generally accepted that 3/08 was a
wake-up call for the party.
Do you consider the “wake-up”
(ie general election result) a
good one for the party?
Wake-up calls jolt people. We notice
and are heartened by the fact that
steps have been taken by the party
to change for the better since 3/08.
There is still a lot more that can and
should be done.
Do you mean that party leaders
in the past were reluctant to take
the advice of members?
We do not claim to be experts dish-
ing out advice to our party leaders.
Our group provides an analysis or
opinion on certain issues which
we think may benefit the party and
country. Good leaders more often
than not have their ears close to the
ground. We are heartened by the
decision of the presidential council
recently to create platforms for party
members and even the public to
voice suggestions and criticism of
party transformation.
Do you think the public or even
MCA members needed such a
group to be their eyes and ears
to monitor the behaviour or con-
duct of their leaders?
It’s not just the business of monitor-
ing. People everywhere talk about
their politics, their leaders, conduct,
policies implemented and to be im-
plemented. They talk simply because
many of these affect their everyday
lives. Likewise, leaders must stand
up to public scrutiny the moment
they assume public office. Sugges-
tions and criticisms can only make a
leader better and stronger.
Many party members and the
public have expressed their support
of our efforts to raise opinions and
analyses that reflect what they think
and feel. We must have been on
track so far.
Why can’t the public or the mem-
bers make their own judgment of
the party?
There is still enough freedom in this
country for the public or MCA mem-
bers to come to their own judgment
of the party.
What do you think of the current
party leadership? What is their
edge over the previous leader-
ship?
It is still too early to tell about the
performance of the current party
leadership. The initial direction of
transparency, accountability and
openness is welcoming, and so are

Choking on snob appeal

by Yap Mun Ching
FOR the first time, I knew what it
felt like to be a fashion victim. At
the request of a friend, I ventured
into one of London’s Gucci stores
on the first day of the winter
sale only to re-emerge minutes
later gasping for fresh air and lost
dignity.
I realised I was in for some
trouble upon crossing the
threshold. Every square foot of
floor space was occupied by an
Asian girl clutching bags in vari-
ous degrees of bling. The shelves
were stripped bare but for two
caps with prints so bold that
they were ignored even by the
Taiwanese boy band lookalikes
standing in the queue with their
girlfriends. The staff, meanwhile,
looked as though they were
given sour lemons for breakfast
and still hadn’t finished chewing
on them two hours later.
After squeezing upstairs to
the men’s footwear department,
I entered into the following
conversation with the sales
assistant:
Me: Do you have these boots in
size 43?
Him: They are not on sale.
Me: I asked if they are
available.
Him: We don’t have them.
Me: What do they cost?
Him: About £800 (this turned out
to be a lie and more than
twofold inflation of the
actual price).
Days later, I found myself still
irritated by this episode. It was
extremely unprofessional of the
salesperson to have behaved
thus but I was even more an-
noyed at myself for letting him
get away with it.
It got me wondering whether
this attitude can be excused as
sale day frustration or whether
it has more to do with the label’s
deliberate projection of its snob
appeal. I am more inclined to
vote for the latter in view of other
examples of such practices. In
the Paris boutique of a popular
French label, it is well known that What is it about the logos that
customers have to first join the persuade so many to part with
perennial queue down Champs not just money but sometimes
Elysees. Once they gain entrance, self respect as well? This is a
they are allowed to pick out their question that is valid for Asians
purchases from catalogues of to consider as our contributions
drawings of the bags. Not even to the companies’ bottom lines
a photo to persuade customers look set to grow significantly.
to part with the equivalent of Late last year, US consultancy
thousands and sometimes tens firm Bain & Company published
of thousands of ringgit. its annual study of the world
Is there something innately luxury goods market and found
masochistic about people who Freespace that even as the slowdown
persist in buying these labels de- Where young views rule is starting to affect mature
spite the treatment they receive? markets, a surge in sales is still
expected in emerging markets.
In 2007, Bain noted that sales
in the Asia-Pacific were driven
We believe the young should mainly by China with a 30% year-
have a say in how things are run, on-year growth, followed closely
by India with 25%, then Taiwan,
because they have everything at
Singapore and Korea. These
stake in our future. This column numbers may be slightly damp-
creates that space for our panel ened this year. Nonetheless,
of bright young sparks to debate they reflect the Asian craving for
issues that they feel strongly labels and logos. While Europe
remains the biggest market for
about. luxury goods, it is likely that a
significant portion of sales were
to Asians in Europe – just like
those in the Gucci store.
According to Bain, people buy
labels because they are absolute
(to reflect elitism), aspirational
(to be recognisable) or accessi-
ble (to show status). Asians were
found to be the main buyers of
brands in the last category. It
means that we want to make
sure that others know we can
afford to flash an alphabet or
two on our accessories.
Having said all this, I am not
against buying luxury goods.
However, I make exception for
labels that promote more their
snob arrogance than the quality
of their products. For this reason,
I suggested my friend look up
other shoe stores.
Mun Ching enjoys travelling off
the beaten path to discover
the grittier but more revealing
parts of the region we call home.
Comment: letters@thesundaily.
com