MCA leaders continue to screw each other up

From: OngBak3

Subject: MCA leaders continue to screw each other up
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA will elect new leaders on March 28 — this was the
only tangible decision emerging from a day of frenzied speculation and
discord as members pledged their allegiances to various factions.

A day after the resignations of two-thirds of central committee
members that triggered party elections, it remains unclear if the
annual general meeting due tomorrow will be convened.

Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is scheduled to
address party members, will not be attending the meeting, according to
his office.

Even more pressing is whether today’s Youth and Wanita assemblies will
take place. As political allegiance held sway, some delegates at their
welcoming dinner last night said they would attend the assemblies,
while others would stay away.

The flurry of meetings and press conferences at the Wisma MCA here
yesterday did little to add certainty.

Reflecting on the state of affairs, Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong
convened three press conferences in the course of the day.

Wee and Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun insisted that their
respective assemblies should be called off despite the central
committee’s “advice” to proceed.

Party secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng said the Youth and Wanita
assemblies should go ahead as a postponement would contravene their by-
laws.

“They have been advised to comply and hold their assemblies.”

Party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat kept everybody guessing as to
his likely moves.

An aide said: “He has accepted what has happened. In fact, he wasn’t
surprised with the development as Dr Chua (deputy president Datuk Seri
Dr Chua Soi Lek) did mention the possibility of fresh polls in March.
So this was not entirely unexpected.”

At press time, Ong had not updated his blog.

Ong’s supporters said they would attend tomorrow’s AGM. This was also
the stance of the rump central committee that met yesterday. Some 20
CC members, predominantly Ong supporters, were there.

Wee and Chew stormed out of the meeting because they said they were
the only dissenters to the decision to go ahead with their movements'
assemblies.

Deepening the sense of confusion, segments within the party are
disputing the validity of the CC meeting, invoking clause 41 of the
MCA constitution which states that should two-thirds of the CC members
resign, someone must be appointed by the CC within three days to
oversee new elections.

This clause suggests, as interpreted by those against yesterday's CC
meeting, with the appointment of Wong as its caretaker, the CC has
ceased to function.

Said a grassroots leader: "The party's situation is messy and almost
comical since the CC is now defunct and, therefore, should not be
making decisions about today's Youth and Wanita assemblies."

National organising secretary Simon Lim said: "There is no such thing
as a caretaker CC.

"I don't want any party members to be misled."

The party was besieged yesterday with many trying to figure out the
battle lines ahead.

The New Straits Times yesterday quoted a staunch supporter of Ong as
saying that party brokers had decided to install Dr Chua as president
and vice-president Datuk Seri Liong Tiong Lai as the No. 2.

However, this prospect was rejected by supporters of Dr Chua and Liow.
A staunch Dr Chua supporter said Dr Chua and those in the CC aligned
to him had never budged from their stand that fresh polls should be
held this month.

"The resignations are to fulfil our promise to the delegates," he
said.

Another party leader pointed out to the earlier signs of a
deteriorating relationship between Ong and Dr Chua.

"The clearest evidence was during the MCA Chinese New Year function
for the media last month. Dr Chua came early and left before Ong
arrived."

A CC member aligned to Dr Chua said while publicly Ong had delegated
responsibilities to his deputy, behind closed-doors it was another
story.

"Ong is not sincere in working together with Dr Chua. Behind the
scenes, he is still acting arbitrarily. Ong is making use of Dr Chua
as a tool to repress Liow and Dr Chua has had enough," he said.

Understandably, Ong's supporters are refusing to write him off.

Central committee member Datuk Ti Lian Ker said: "He may be cornered
but he is not out. He has sprung back from many political near misses
many times."

Last Oct 22, the feuding duo, in a show of unity, publicly buried the
hatchet.

It now remains to be seen how this will translate into votes, if Ong
decides to contest.

Speculation is that Dr Chua commands the biggest support, with at
least one-third of the 2,400 delegates firmly behind him.

Puchong division vice-chief Datuk Theng Book predicted that the level
of support for Dr Chua was 50 per cent, Liow 30 per cent with Ong
trailing at 20 per cent.

KUALA LUMPUR (March 5, 2010): The MCA Youth and Wanita wings have postponed their respective annual general meetings (AGM), scheduled for tomorrow, following yesterday's resignation by 21 elected members of the party's powerful central committee to make way for new polls.

The decisions were taken after the two wings held emergency exco meetings at the party headquarters in Wisma MCA, Jalan Ampang, here today.

Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the move was due to uncertainty over the fate of the party (AGM) that was scheduled for Sunday, after the 21 elected central committee members quit yesterday.

Deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who was among those who resigned, had asked for fresh party polls to be held within a month.

Wee said he had met party secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng yesterday but the latter could not say whether Sunday's AGM would go ahead.

"Until this morning, there has been no confirmation, so we discussed and deliberated the issue before deciding to postpone our AGM," said Wee.

He advised delegates who have yet to arrive in the capital to change their plans, while accommodation would be provided for those who are already here.

Wee said the Pemuda dinner planned for tonight would not be cancelled.

Wanita chief Datuk Paduka Chew Mei Fun said it was a majority decision to postpone the AGM.

However, the celebrations for Wanita International Day tonight would proceed as planned. -- Bernama