4 theSun
news without borders
Liow in limbo
KUALA LUMPUR: While Datuk Seri Liow Tiong
Lai’s appointment as MCA deputy president by
the party’s central committee (CC) had placed him
as the next in line to take over the presidency, his
political future is now uncertain.
The health minister is labelled as the leader
of 22 CC members who signed a letter demand-
ing that Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat step down as
president in the Oct 15 CC meeting following the
Oct 10 extraordinary general meeting (EGM).
Liow’s clarification that the letter was only to
express their opinion, and not to topple Ong, is
unconvincing. The greater unity plan brokered by
Ong and former deputy president Datuk Seri Dr
Chua Soi Lek has not only dashed Liow’s dream
to helm the party, his political future is now un-
certain. Ong is said to have planned the political
manoeuvre as Liow was seen as “betraying a
friend” for his alleged attempt to take over the
party leadership.
CC member Datuk Ti Lian Ker did not mince
his words in his criticism of Liow. Naming him as
the leader of the “third force” in the party, he said
Liow was now being perceived as an “evil man”.
While the detail of the greater unity plan is
not immediately known, it is learnt that it will be
similar to the MCA peace plan that ended the
infamous “Team A-Team B fight” in 2003, with
supporters of both factions being given key party
positions, including in the CC and state liaison line-
ups. If this happens, it would greatly undermine
Liow’s faction, which may see some, particularly
appointed CC members, losing their positions.
According to Ti, who played an integral role in
bringing Ong and Chua together, the situation is
more complicated for Liow now as supporters of
both leaders no longer trust him. – Bernama
Ka Chuan: CC blessings most vital
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
FORMER MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri
Ong Ka Chuan says it is unfair to both the party
and Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak for party
president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to seek the
prime minister’s blessings before announcing
the “greater unity plan”, giving the impression
that Najib is intervening in the party’s affairs.
He said the unity plan, which saw Tee Keat
and former deputy president Datuk Seri Dr
Chua Soi Lek agreeing to work as a team, was
irrational and it had yet to receive the blessings
and support of the central committee (CC), the
Chinese press reported yesterday.
“No blessings are more important than the
blessings of the CC,” Ka Chuan said in a state-
ment on Saturday.
He said Tee Keat has often stressed the
Smear campaigns must stop, says Tiong Lai
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA deputy president Datuk
Seri Liow Tiong Lai says there appears to be no
end to smear campaigns and bad-mouthing
despite feuding members agreeing to bury the
hatchet to resolve the leadership crisis for the
sake of the party.
“There are quarters still going on with their
MCA’s mountain of two tigers
analysis by Ng Kee Seng
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
IN politics, sometimes principles have to be
temporarily set aside, not chucked away, for the
greater interest of members and the party.
The reality of politics is the existence of com-
rades who only work for their own selfish interest.
And when there are too many of them, principles
have to be set aside in a political battlefield.
Both MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat
and his former deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek
are similarly strong principled characters. Both will
call a spade a spade, and that’s where strength
becomes weakness when exploited by traitors.
They have realised that they were betrayed in
the 10/10 EGM, especially by opportunists who
call themselves friends or allies but when it comes
to the crunch, they flee.
The opportunistic factions in MCA quietly
convinced their hardcore supporters, including
those the Chinese popularly describe as “ren shi
ni, gui ye shi ni” (literally translated as “human is
you, devil is also you”), to seize the EGM situation
and tilt the scales on Ong and Chua so as to pave
the way for “friends” to ascend.
Now the traitors are caught off-guard and
are having sleepless nights instead. They had
dismissed any possibility of Ong, 52, and Chua, 62,
joining forces after a year of intense bickering.
They are now in a position which another
Chinese idiom accurately describes – “hu li wei
ba lu chu lai le” (the fox’s tail is showing).
party did not want outside interference, a
stand he shared and supported.
“The proper way (to greater party unity)
should have been to first call a CC meeting, or
even an extraordinary general meeting (EGM)
if necessary, to seek the approval of the party’s
highest decision-making body, before briefing
prime minister and Barisan Nasional chair-
man Najib. This is to protect and uphold the
party’s dignity,” he said.
Ka Chuan felt that all Najib wanted to see
was a united MCA and a unity plan achieved
through internal channels based on sincerity
and setting aside personal gain or loss would
also receive the prime minister’s blessings.
He also said the wishes of the central
delegates in the recent EGM should not have
been taken lightly.
He felt that the delegates’ decisions should
have been abided by, or at least the party cen-
tral should have give acceptable reasons as to
why the decisions taken in the EGM could not
be implemented.
smear campaigns. If they want the unity plan to
work, then they must stop doing this.” he said.
Asked who was behind the smear cam-
paigns, Liow did not name anyone except to say
that there was a report in a newspaper on
Saturday of a MCA central committee member
levelling accusations.
Whether the Ong-Chua alliance was brokered
by someone or genuinely worked out by both
leaders is now secondary.
They must display sincerity in wanting to sta-
bilise MCA for its political survival and the general
interest of the Chinese community. At least, the
EGM and the subsequent developments in the
party have been an eye opener for both Ong and
Chua.
It is also a blessing in disguise for them – for
they should now have an idea who their true
friends are. They will find themselves losing more
should they renege in their declaration to jointly
work for the party and community.
After Thursday’s Ong-Chua press conference
in the party headquarters, the medical doctor-
turned-politician Chua was quoted as saying: “At
some point, infighting must come to an end or
politicians would risk losing public support and
their party would become irrelevant.
“For the greater good of the party, we have
no choice. My view is that he (Ong) has half the
support and I have half the support. So for the
sake of the party, we have to work together.”
Ong’s immediate task is not only to work with
Chua but also to resolve his current woes and
position which he had described as “zhon pan qin
li” (being deserted in a mutiny).
Ong wrote in his blog on Friday: “We in MCA,
myself included, have unfinished business. More
effort needs to be put in to win back public support
for MCA in time for the next general election.
“MCA cannot afford to lose much more pre-
| MONDAY OCTOBER 26 2009
Ka Chuan stressed that it was not his inten-
tion to stand in the way of the greater unity
plan but he hoped to be remembered to have
stood up to say what needed to be spoken up
in a challenging time for the party.
“I do not want the future generations to
regard this generation of party members as
ignorant and not having stood up to uphold
the dignity and image of the party,” he said.
He said both Tee Keat and Soi Lek should
be bold enough to fulfil their political integrity
and uphold moral uprightness, and pointed out
that the split and chaos in MCA was caused by
the personal conflicts of two leaders.
Ka Chuan said after having agreed to hold
the EGM and declared that they would abide
by the decisions made, they should fulfil their
moral obligations and uphold integrity. They
have a duty to bring unity and stability back
to MCA.
He said it was every member’s wish to see
an end to the infighting and the party united
again.
Although he did not go into the details of the
report, it is believed he was referring to Datuk Ti
Lian Ker’s allegation of a third force within the
party which rejected MCA president Datuk Seri
Ong Tee Keat and his former deputy Datuk Seri
Choi Soi Lek in the extraordinary general meeting
on Oct 10.
cious time. The battle to uphold justice, transpar-
ency and accountability must continue unabated.
I personally will soldier on with the earlier relent-
less efforts to get to the bottom of the Port Klang
Free Zone (PKFZ) debacle. In fact, more resources
can now be focused on fulfilling public expecta-
tions on this issue.
“Yesterday (Thursday) marked the beginning of
MCA’s overdue integration process. This is one of
the unfinished jobs that I mentioned earlier. This
is one of the processes and that we need to put
in our full commitment to make it work.
“Towards this end, both Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi
Lek and I have agreed to set aside our differences
and work towards a common goal. Our top prior-
ity now is to win back support for MCA in time for
the next general election.
“I am also confident that Datuk Seri Liow Tiong
Lai and other central committee members will
close ranks and see the rationale behind the need
for an inclusive MCA.”
MCA members and the public will now ob-
serve and judge both leaders’ sincerity in words
and actions. The challenge now for Ong and Chua
is to debunk the Chinese idiom “yi shan bu nen
cang er hu” (two tigers cannot stay on the same
mountain).
For now, the bruised tigers have no other
choice but to bury their differences to make their
joint-effort work because they cannot afford
another “battle” which will spell their political
demise. For the turncoats will then return with
greater force and vengeance.