MCA NGO LIAISON BUREAU CONCEPT PAPER

OBJECTIVES

a) To identify and prioritize issues which have the most impact on the voting behavior of the constituents under MCA;

b) To engage and connect with active NGOs on a national or local level and to promote cooperation and understanding towards a common purpose and objectives;

c) To actively engage NGOs with the purpose of acquiring greater understanding of local / or national issues and to lend our support towards achieving their objectives and purpose in line with the national interest;

d) To enhance MCA’s role as a policy maker by effectively joining hands with NGO’s to influence policy changes and / or amendments to our statutory laws;

e) To counter misconceptions against the government or the party by engaging NGOs via dialogues, forums, debates and workshops.


PROPOSED STRUCTURE

The MCA NGO Liaison Bureau will be divided into four (4) localities namely Penang, Klang Valley, Kinta Valley and Selangor. Individuals will be selected to reach out to various NGOs or groups to touch base and propose a common platform to work together on a partnership basis. During the course of our work, we may be overlapping into areas of other MCA bureaus or wings but we would like to emphasize here that the overlap will only be on specific subjects or areas and the relevant bureau or wings will be informed accordingly of our programmes whereby we will then work together hand-in-hand towards a common purpose and goal. All members are welcome to join our bureaus, to assist or to contribute towards achieving the above objectives.


INITIAL WORK PLAN

NGO group selections
- Women’s groups (collaboration with Wanita MCA)
- Religious groups (Church groups and Buddhist associations)
- Human Rights groups
- Environmental groups
- International links (foreign embassies, international support groups and foundations)


STRATEGY

- Generating and compiling database of contact of the identified groups
- Studying the issues and subsequent approach of each of the issue identified
- Policy discussions and position taken by the party
- Media engagement to highlight the problems and concerns of each of the NGO / issue
- To set up an Internet team to counter / explain the position of the party on the issues
- To set up own pressure groups to influence friendly groups and to counter hostile parties.