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Ong and Chua have to go THE VERDICTS

THE MCA central delegates have delivered
their verdict at an extraordinary general meet-
ing (EGM) on Saturday.
The message of the 2,380 delegates to party
president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat was simple
and clear: “We have no confidence in your
leadership.”
And their message to suspended and sex-
video tainted Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek: “We
don’t want you as deputy president.”
Both have said they accept the delegates’
decisions. Thus, the honourable thing for the
two rivals to do is to resign and let a new team
take over the helm of the 60-year-old Chinese-
based party and Barisan Nasional’s second
biggest partner.
All members and leaders have said they will
abide by the delegates’ decisions. Let’s hope they
are sincere. Leaving aside emotions and per-
sonal agenda, what did the delegates decide?
On resolution one, they say they have lost
confidence in Ong, perhaps in the way in
which he handled the Chua issue by sidelin-
ing him and denying him a major role in party
affairs as the No. 2.
According to the party constitution, the
president can be removed if two thirds of the
delegates decide he should. But Ong had gone
on record to say in an interview published on
Sept 19: “The first resolution, the vote of no
confidence, we know that a simple majority
once carried, I will be left with no choice but
to bow out and step down. Anyone who argues
that I do not need to do so, that only a two-
thirds majority is required to boot me out, I
think that is a great lie.”
On resolution two, the delegates vetoed the
decisions of both the presidential council (PC)
and the powerful central committee (CC). They
reinstated Chua’s membership. The PC had
endorsed a disciplinary board recommendation
to sack Chua for tarnishing the party’s image,
but the CC suspended him for four years.
On resolution three, the delegates voted not
to return Chua as deputy president.
So Ong is still the duly elected president,
while the party is without a deputy president.
Should Ong resign, the party constitution
says the deputy president should assume the RESOLUTION 1:
post until the next general assembly. The CC That members of the general assembly
is empowered to elect a deputy president from have no confidence in Ong’s leader-
among its members. ship.
Already, there is a suggestion that the YES: 1,155
most senior vice-president (by way of votes NO: 1,141
received) should assume the top post. That
would be Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha. The other RESOLUTION 2:
VPs are Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Datuk
Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen who is backing Kong. That the presidential council’s decision
Observers and party members will be to accept the disciplinary board’s rec-
watching closely what unfolds in the next few ommendation and the decision of the
days for signs of what the CC, which convenes central committee to expel or suspend
on Thursday to deliberate on the implica- Chua is void.
tions of the EGM, will decide. One way out YES: 1,204
is to call for new elections, which could see NO: 1,095
the re-emergence of dark horses like former
secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan. RESOLUTION 3:
To maintain the status quo would mean That Chua be reinstated as deputy
further jeopardising the party for personal president.
interests, instead of working on rebuilding it YES: 1,110
to regain the confidence of the Chinese com- NO: 1,184
munity which it still claims to represent after
the March 2008 political tsunami.

Tee Keat to quit by

Wednesday?
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat who lost a no-confi-
dence vote at an extraordinary general meeting on Saturday, has
verbally told the central
Kong ready to lead MCA
by Giam Say Khoon still depend on the MCA central jority of delegates, he said: “As a
committee (CC) that he newsdesk@thesundaily.com committee (CC) as to whether they responsible president and a person
want me (to lead the party).” of principle, he (Ong) knows what
is quitting, Kwong Wah
Yit Poh’s online edition Press Digest KUALA LUMPUR: MCA On Saturday, the central del- to do.”
reported yesterday. by Kong See Hoh vice-president Datuk Seri egates with a 14-vote majority Ong had before the EGM said he
The daily, quoting newsdesk@thesundaily.com Kong Cha Ha says he is passed a motion of no confidence would resign if he failed to secure
party sources, said Ong ready to fulfil his res- against party president Datuk Seri the support of the majority.
would submit his resignation letter to the CC before it meets on ponsibility should Ong Tee Keat, while choosing not In the vice-presidential race
Thursday to deliberate on the outcome of the EGM. he be asked to lead to return Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi in party elections last year, Kong
However, it remains to be seen if the CC will accept his resigna- the party, after Lek as deputy president. garnered 1,798 votes, followed by
tion, as legally Ong can continue as president, although in doing an extraordinary Kong, who is housing and local Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (1,725),
what is morally right, he may not. He was previously reported to general meeting government minister, stressed that Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen (1,659)
have said he will step down even if the motion of no-confidence (EGM) on Satur- the outcome of the EGM must be and Tan Kok Hong (1,329).
was rejected by a simple majority. day rejected the taken into consideration by Ong So far, only Kong and Ng
The motion against Ong was passed by 1,155 votes to 1,141 at leadership of the and the CC and that any decision have spoken up on the EGM’s
the EGM, which also saw the delegates rejecting a resolution to incumbent No. 1 made must also be based on the outcome.
reinstate Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as deputy president. and 2. decision of the delegates. It was reported that Ng, the only
With Chua out of the picture and Ong looking set to step down, Contacted yester- Asked whether Ong should stay female vice-president, had said the
all eyes are now on the four party vice-presidents. day, Kong (left) said: on as party president – consider- decision of the delegates should
MCA observers predict two likely scenarios: “The responsibility of ing that the party constitution does be respected and that it was time
» The CC chooses a new president and deputy from among the MCA leaders is to serve not require him to step down the four vice-presidents sat down
four vice-presidents; or the party, which includes the – although he no longer enjoys to discuss the future of the party,
» A fresh election is held to choose a new team of leaders. possibility of being appointed to the support of the ma- including the candidacy of
Vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen was quoted by any position in the party. However, the president and deputy
Nanyang Siang Pau as having said that the vice-president with it will president’s posts.
the largest number of votes should take over from Ong. She said Earlier, a third force
she believed there would be no objections to this from the other within the party, which
vice-presidents. had urged the delegates
In the last party elections, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha received to oust both Ong and
the largest number of votes, followed by Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Chua, had also said it
Lai, Ng and Tan Kok Hong. wanted a group man-
Ng said she was not surprised at the outcome of the EGM. agement leadership for
Although Kong and Liow are tipped to be the favourites to take the party and that a
over the top two posts, the possibility of Ng being picked to be new leadership would
the No. 2 cannot be dismissed as she is favoured by Chua’s camp, be selected from the
Oriental Daily News reported. There is also talk that Chua’s camp current CC.
can accept a team that comprises any of the four vice-presidents M e a n w h i l e ,
except Liow. party secretary-gen-
Kong said the outcome of the EGM was unusual and that party eral Datuk Wong
leaders would study the constitution to decide what it should do Foon Meng said a CC
next. He said he respected the decision of the central delegates meeting on Thursday
which showed no absolute victory by any group. would discuss whether
Ong should stay on as
president.
Chinese groups concerned “The CC will
analyse the outcome
THE Chinese community is concerned at the “no-win” out- of the EGM and will
come of the MCA’s EGM. seriously discuss at
Both Hua Zong (Federation of Chinese Associations of length all possible
Malaysia) and Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce avenues and op-
and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) say the MCA cannot tions available to
afford to be split further and that members should work come out with the
to reunite the party without any delay, Oriental Daily News
reported yesterday.
Hua Zong president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah said he was
I take full responsibility best solution in the
interest of the Chi-
nese community,” he
surprised at the EGM’s outcome but urged MCA members to
keep calm and accept the verdict rationally.
for EGM’s outcome: Ong said.
“The majority of CC members
In a statement on Saturday, he said he hoped the party PETALING JAYA: Embattled MCA presi- all avenues and angles of the results and have earlier advised the president
would resolve its internal conflicts as soon as possible in dent Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said he res- the immediate future of the party. I take not to make any decision, ir-
order to move ahead to serve the community. He said a stable pects the decision of central delegates full responsibility for the outcome of the respective of the outcome of the
MCA would enhance the community’s stability and unity. to yesterday’s extraordinary general EGM and will act in the best interest of EGM, until the president refers to
ACCCIM president Tan Sri William Cheng hoped both meeting of the MCA. the party after consultation with my col- the committee, to which he has
factions in the party’s conflicts would put an end to their “The results have sent certain mes- leagues and supporters and deliberations agreed,” Wong said.
rivalry. He said they should accept the EGM’s outcome and sages which I can see are now being at the next Central Committee meeting,” He urged party leaders to stop
move forward. interpreted in the press by different par- he wrote in his blog yesterday. speculations on the matter until the
Cheng took the view that the party should pick a new ties in many ways. I have also received Ong’s office has issued a statement committee deliberates on it.
team of top leaders in accordance with its constitution and much feedback, appeals and advice that he will be on leave until Wednesday To a question, Wong said the
close ranks. “At a time when the country is facing economic which I truly appreciate,” he said. and will not be issuing any statement CC would decide whether or not to
challenges, MCA cannot afford to be split again.” “The Central Committee will discuss during that time. accept Ong’s resignation should he
tender it at the meeting.