theSun | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14 2009
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Damn your principles,
stick to your party
THE impact of MCA’s EGM is tumultuous. The
madness must cease. MCA members must
take the initiative in bringing a stop to this
tragic internal warfare.
MCA as a party must undergo a radical
transformation of values. The members only
hope lies in their ability to recapture the MCA
spirit to face a sometimes hostile political
environment from within MCA, BN and the
opposition.
Let us get back to basics. MCA is an as-
sociation. The contract of membership with
the payment of subscription calls for the
observance by all members of the rules of its
constitution. In particular, there is an implied
undertaking by the association to uphold those
rules in good faith. It must not be in pursuance
of some oblique or improper motive.
The party constitution is our guiding force
and it is the supreme document. The ground
rules of the game are all envisaged in it. All
members including the president must honour
it and play by those rules.
Article 35 provides: The General Assembly
may dismiss any party official if approved by at
least two third of the delegates to the general
assembly.
The results of the EGM resolution: “That
members of the general assembly have no
confidence in the leadership of Ong Tee Keat”
was adopted by 1,155 votes against 1,141.
A corollary of that result is that this resolu-
tion has failed to dismiss the president. As such
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is still the president
of the MCA.
He had pledged time and again to uphold
the MCA Constitution throughout his long
membership. He must continue to honour and
uphold the MCA Constitution.
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thesun says
More days for campaigning
May I offer Benjamin Disraeli’s timely and
appropriate advice to the MCA president:
“Damn your principles. Stick to your party.”
Ong’s selfless service and sacrifices for the
MCA have been etched in the party’s history.
and time to cool off THE Election Commission is hoping the future through the strict enforcement
He has the unflagging conviction towards the to re-introduce the “cooling-off” period of Section 26 of the Election Offences
purity of MCA’s objectives and worthiness of before polling day to prevent harassment Act and the observance of the “cooling
its cause. of voters by party workers as they head -off” period. Many countries have this
He has been a forthright leader who to the polling stations to cast their votes. period included in their election laws.
spoke up fearlessly. He exposed the exces- It is considering the suggestion brought The voters must be protected at all cost.
sive amounts paid for the renovations of the up by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri They must be able to walk up to the poll-
Chinese primary schools in Johor. He spoke up Muhyiddin Yassin during the recent Ba- ing centre without any harassment or
on the unfair and unjust allocation of places in gan Pinang by-election and other similar hindrance of any kind. The banning of
local public universities. suggestions made by others in the past. the so-called pondok panas, manned by
As transport minister, he opened up a can The suggestion is a good one as it will party workers, outside the polling centres
of worms and “the mother of all financial prevent voters from being harassed by is a move in the right direction as often
scandals” – the PKFZ fiasco. We, the rakyat, party canvassers, sometimes violently, these are where party canvassers sallied
had lost billions. outside the polling stations. This has been out to approach voters with suggestions
Obviously, Ong has stepped on the toes happening in several general elections of how they should vote. Often voters
of some powerful figures. The question is: and by-elections and it is about time that had to walk past a gauntlet of several
“What has Ong not done for the Chinese com- voters are spared the harassment. The pondok panas.
munity?” presence of the party canvassers outside A “cooling-off” period is usually the
A Merdeka Centre survey conducted the polling stations could also have been space of 24 hours or 48 hours between
recently showed that the majority of the the reasons many people avoid turning the end of the campaigning period
respondents feel that Ong should continue up to cast their votes and maybe even and polling day when all campaigning
leading MCA. Numerous Chinese community some of the reasons for the poor voter ceases. It is meant to reduce the amount
NGOs have also come forward to say that Ong turnout in some polling areas. of political rhetoric and tension between
should not resign. There used to be such a thing as opposing parties while at the same time
I believe the responsibility of a leader to “cooling-off” period in the past but it providing space for the voters to consider
decide what is best for the people, party and seems to have been forgotten just as their options before they cast their votes
nation may at times cause some unease. Section 26 of the Election Offences Act on polling day. For a long time the eve of
There must be times that he had erred and which prohibits campaigning on polling polling day is when the parties go into a
was not able to fulfil his promises but I do not day seems to have been ignored by the frenzy of campaigning hoping to be the
believe he should resign as MCA president. contesting parties and not enforced by one to have the last word with the voters.
MCA still needs Ong to navigate through these policemen co-opted as special election Thus, should the election commission
troubled and stormy times. policemen. decide to impose a “cooling off” period
There have been several ugly inci- it must also at the same time, to be fair,
Ronnie Tan dents on polling day in the past and this consider extending the official campaign-
Kuala Lumpur must be prevented from happening in ing period from the present one week.