The time for real work and real change begins

马华党选已经结束。

我要衷心为我献上鼓励和祝福的马华同志、朋友、支持者以及我的部落格访者。感谢你们的支持和祝贺。

在马华党选胜出当选署理总会长，我谦逊地看待这项战绩和经验，因为它并非个人的荣耀，而是承载着所有党员志要重振党的希望。

激烈的竞选以后，我们必须迅速归队团结起来，所有中选的领袖必须要紧记我们对基层许下的承诺。我们要做他们革新党、国家的代理；我们一定要为党落实真正的改革。

党员已经开声了，这些讯息响亮而清晰。他们拒绝在党内建立“皇朝”霸业，他们不要一个软弱的领导层。他们要能够畅言无惧的领导层，在国阵里有平等的发言权。但这不表示马华要挑战巫统。马华和巫统必须要成为治理国家的合作伙伴。

我吁请各造抛开所有歧见，与全体马华领导层紧密合作，全力配合新任总会长拿督翁诗杰。

我要声明一点，马华要开始真正的工作，不仅为华社，而是为全民大声说话认真做事。我们一定要改变华社对我党抱持的负面印象和观念。我们不能只改变马华，还要在国阵里推动更大型的兴革，要国阵做一个跨种族、宗教，代表全民的政党。

我们要成为一个真正的政党，在国阵落实真正的政改，这是大马人民的要求。人民要一个更好及更廉洁的政府，而马华要从确保每位马华部长是最能干、最有效地管理出掌的部门。

在当下经济艰辛时刻，人民要看到一个为民工作的政府，马华要扮演最前线角色，确保有一个高效率的政府。

政治竟跑已经结束，是时候付诸行动实践真改革。

与此同时，我也趁此通知大家，我的将暂别两周休息为自己充电，再重新投入工作。

MCA election is over.

To my comrades, friends, supporters and everyone from this virtual network, I sincerely thank you for the words of encouragement and support.

My achievement in winning the MCA deputy presidency has been a most humbling experience in that it comes with the responsibility of carrying the hopes of all MCA members in rejuvenating our party.

While we must close ranks and come together after a most competitive campaign, all of the winning candidates must remember what was promised to the grassroots and to the delegates.

We must be their agent of change in the party and in the country. We must bring about the real change desired of the party.

The members have spoken. The message is loud and clear. They have rejected empire building. They have rejected a weak leadership. They want a more vocal leadership. The members want to have an equal say in how the Barisan Nasional government is administered. We are not here to challenge Umno, but we must become partners again in governance.

I pledge to set aside all differences and work closely with all the members of the senior leadership, including the newly elected president Datuk Ong Tee Keat. I want to make one thing clear. The real work lies ahead. The MCA must strive towards giving a greater voice not just to the Chinese community but to all ordinary Malaysians.

We must work hard to change the negative perception a substantial number in the Chinese community have of us. We cannot just change MCA but also work to reform BN.

We must work hard to bring about the kind of reforms necessary to regain support from all Malaysians not just for MCA but for BN as a real multi-racial coalition which represents all Malaysians regardless of race and creed.

We must become a real political party again to make real political changes within BN. That is what the people of Malaysia demand. They want better and cleaner governance. We must start by ensuring all of the MCA's ministers run the most efficient and most effective ministries.

In these economically trying times, Malaysians want to see a government that works for them. We in the MCA must being the forefront of ensuring an efficient and effective government.

The time for politics is over. The time for real work and for real change begins.

Meanwhile, I will be off from blogging for 2 weeks. I need time to recharge my battery.