BY DAVID CHEW Special to The Japan Times SINGAPORE -- The defection of key politicians from one to the other of the two main Chinese components in Malaysia's ruling multiparty coalition has caused bad blood and made the role of mediator difficult for the coalition's Malay leader.
Two members of the Malaysian People's Movement, or Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), abandoned the party and joined the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) shortly after the National Front coalition's strong win in Malaysia's 10th general election.
The Gerakan is a Chinese-based party with a multiracial orientation. The MCA is an exclusively Chinese party championing the rights of the community, which accounts for 30 percent of Malaysia's 20 million multiethnic population.