MCA’s Own Ex-Member Ridhuan Tee Told To Leave Malaysia By

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MCA Youth deputy chairman Mike Chong Yew Chuan has called on controversial academic and columnist Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah to voluntarily relinquish his Malaysian citizenship and emigrate.

It’s a pointed rebuke made all the more striking by a fact Chong did not mention: Tee was once a life member of MCA itself.

Tee, born Tee Chuan Seng, a Malaysian Chinese Muslim convert known for his polarising commentary on race, religion and identity, held life membership in MCA’s Selangor branch from 18 December 2000, for over 15 years — before resigning in May 2016 in protest of the party’s opposition to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act amendment bill, commonly known as the hudud bill.

At the time, he accused MCA of being “anti-Islam” and racist.

MCA’s top leaders, for their part, admitted they had not even known he was a member.

The Funeral That Broke The Camel’s Back

The latest flashpoint was Tee’s public accusation that government leaders who attended the funeral of Tun Dr Hasmah Mohd Ali, wife of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, were being hypocritical — performing goodwill in death toward a woman they had, in his view, marginalised in life.

Chong rejected the characterisation and turned the criticism back on Ridhuan.

If Tee feels he is unable to live in a peaceful, harmonious, diverse and inclusive Malaysia, he does not need to continue subjecting himself to this hardship, Chong said.

MCA Youth advises him to voluntarily relinquish his Malaysian citizenship and emigrate.

Chong stopped short of naming a destination, but suggested Tee might find himself more at ease somewhere “filled with hatred, hostility, or conflict.”

Tee did not stay silent.

Within the hour, he posted a response on social media alongside an old family photograph, writing that “diversity must have its root, which is Islam/Malay/Bumiputera,” and that MCA should “understand this first” before the conversation turns to “who should go back to China first.”

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A Pattern, Not An Incident

Chong framed the funeral remarks not as an isolated outburst but as the latest entry in a long record of provocation.

He cited Tee’s past statements — questioning the use of Chinese script on Hungry Ghost Festival decorations, accusing Malaysia Airlines’ in-flight magazine of insufficient Malay-language content, and describing the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) as a “product of communism” — as evidence of a consistent pattern.

“He consistently steers issues toward ethnic, linguistic and identity confrontation that could otherwise be discussed rationally,” Chong said. “Now, even a funeral can become a channel for his hatred.”

Chong described Tee’s conduct as that of “someone walking with a torch of hatred, recklessly fanning flames across various issues,” and called on him to cease what he termed divisive tactics pursued “merely to chase web traffic and show off.”

The political pressure on Tee is not limited to rhetoric.

DAP MP RSN Rayer filed a police report against Tee over a social media post Rayer said contained language that was “insulting, sarcastic and condescending” toward the Chinese community.

The report centred on Tee’s use of the term ultra kiasu harbi — a phrase that frames non-Muslim political figures as “enemies of Islam.”

Cross-Party Consensus

PKR’s Kota Anggerik assemblyman and Shah Alam PKR chief Najwan Halimi also weighed in, backing MCA Pemuda’s criticism and accusing Tee of repeatedly promoting views that divide Malaysians along racial and religious lines.

His statements do not at all reflect the mentality of a scholar and a rational, civilised Muslim, said Najwan.

“I do not understand what version of Islam Ridhuan Tee follows — sowing hatred and calling for division every single day. The true teachings of Islam do not teach what Ridhuan Tee teaches.”

The alignment of MCA — an opposition party — and PKR — a government party — in criticising the same individual is notable.

Tee has said he originally waited four years before joining MCA in 2000 because he wanted to retain his Chinese identity after converting to Islam, and hoped to serve as an internal bridge helping the Chinese community better understand the religion.

He later expressed frustration that the party never utilised him in that role, claiming they viewed him as a threat.

Now its youth wing is telling him to leave the country.

@therealnehruism
COMMENTARY | Has Ridhuan Tee Really Moved On? #hungryghostfestival #ridhuantee #Altimet #malaysiannews
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MCA’s Own Ex-Member Ridhuan Tee Told To Leave Malaysia By — MCA
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