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news without borders
Najib: Give MCA leaders some time
by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak yes-
terday said that MCA leaders should
be given more time to sort out their
problems and that whatever deci-
sions they make should lead to a
stronger party.
“Give them a bit of time … I think
they should be given time,” he said
after chairing the National Innova-
tion Council meeting at Putra World
Trade Centre yesterday.
“I have met the leaders and I
want them to sort out their problems.
Unity plan needs support of CC to work: Liow
by Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA unity
plan needs to be transparent and get
the support of the central commit-
tee (CC) to work, says new deputy
president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong
Lai.
“It (the plan) has to be transpar-
ent and it has to be understood and
discussed by the CC. If we do not
understand and we do not know the
details, how can we work on it?” he
told reporters after launching the
International Association for Ado-
lescent Health 9th Conference 2009
yesterday.
“If we want the unity plan to
have good results, we need to get
the support of all quarters, includ-
ing the delegates, CC and party
members,” he reiterated.
Liow was commenting on
the party’s Greater Unity Plan
hammered out between president
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and
former deputy president Datuk
Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek which was
announced last week without any
consultation with the CC.
On Tuesday, Liow and 14 dis-
gruntled CC members including
MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee
Ka Siong and Wanita chief Datin
Paduka Chew Mei Fun, told a press
conference that the CC wanted Ong
to give details of the plan before it is
What is important is that they must
be committed towards making MCA
a party which is united and stronger
... whatever decision has to lead to a
stronger MCA.”
Najib had last week given his sup-
port to a peace plan to end the feuding
between president Datuk Seri Ong
Tee Kiat and ousted deputy president
Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
But the announcement of the
peace pact, dubbed the Greater Unity
Plan, obviously failed to douse the
flames of discontent in the second
largest component party of the Ba-
risan Nasional.
The peace plan was questioned
implemented.
They also urged that the results
of Oct 10 extraordinary general
meeting (EGM), where Ong had
a motion of no-confidence passed
against him while Chua was re-
jected by the delegates as deputy
president, must be respected.
In a blog posting on Wednesday,
Ong, who had previously said that
it was his prerogative to make deci-
sions without acknowledging the
CC, questioned the motive of some
members who insisted on knowing
the details of the plan.
“Do these people hope to see the
party being dragged down by con-
tinuous infighting, just so they can
achieve their selfish ambitions?
“Do they understand the impor-
tance of putting the greater unity
plan to work so that MCA can con-
tinue with its healing and reforms
following the setbacks during last
year’s general election?” he asked.
However, his blog posting has
raised Wee’s ire, who said Ong can-
not expect the CC to accept the unity
plan without knowing the details.
“We do not have problem with
the unity plan provided we know the
contents. We are not out to kill each
other, we want to unite the members
but unity should not be confined
to one or two members across the
board of 930,000 members,” he said
when met at the parliament lobby
yesterday.
recently by MCA deputy president
Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and some
members of the central committee,
who complained about being kept in
the dark by Ong. Liow has also said
that the plan must be tabled before
the central committee for endorse-
ment, something that Ong has so far
refused to do.
Najib declined to elaborate on
what course of action could be taken
by MCA to solve its crisis.
On the outcome of the innovation
council meeting, Najib said that ‘in-
novation’ would be a national policy
and nanotechnology would be the
new frontier in the new economic
BERNAMAPIX
Liow receives
a copy of the
book, Live
Life, Stay
Safe, from
cerebral
palsy patient,
Zahidah
Daud, 20,
and Down
Syndrome
patient Ho
Wai Kin,
22, at the
launch of
International
Association
for
Adolescent
Health 9th
Conference
2009.
Wee rubbishes alleged link to PKFZ
by Terence Fernandez
terence@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: MCA Youth chief and
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka
Siong says allegations linking a company
he part owns to dealings with Port Klang
Free Zone (PKFZ) turnkey contractor
Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) are “rub-
bish” and “politically-motivated”.
In responding to the allegations which
have been posted on several blogs in the
past few days, Wee said attempts to link
Hijau Sekitar Sdn Bhd in which he holds
49,998 shares, to KDSB which is owned
by Tan Sri Tiong King Sing are politically-
motivated.
Sabah PKR fracture: Two views
PETALING JAYA: The resignation of two
of Sabah’s top Parti Keadilan Rakyat
(PKR) leaders got its president in damage
control mode yesterday, while rival Umno
questioned the party’s ability to govern.
Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan resigned as
a PKR vice-president and as a member
of the party’s supreme council while its
political bureau and PKR Kota Kinabalu
division chief Christina Liew quit as a su-
preme council member.
This came after the party named on
Sunday Ahmad Thamrin Jaini to replace
Azmin Ali as state liaison chief and Datuk
Kong Hong Ming to replace Liew. These
developments had caused confusion
model. He said the government
wants to set up a national innova-
tion centre or MyNIC to enhance the
level of innovation and creativity in
the country.
“There are also suggestions to
set up a national iconic innovation
centre, to be as significant as the
Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC).”
Najib said innovation has to be
total, and should include corporate
innovation and societal innovation,
among others.
He also said government agencies
or organisations which come up with
innovative or creative innovation
will be rewarded.
“These are baseless allegations and
what they are trying to do is absolute rub-
bish,” he said when contacted last night.
Asked if Hijau Sekitar was subcon-
tracted a traffic impact assessment job
by KDSB in the early 2000s for the PKFZ
project, he said: “It is for them to prove.
The burden of proof is not on me”.
Indicating he may resort to legal action
on the matter, Wee said it was preposter-
ous to claim that he benefited from PKFZ
of which groundworks started in 1999, as
he was still doing his doctorate then.
Companies Commission of Malaysia
records show that Hijau Sekitar was
registered in Johor Baru in 1992 and
describes its nature of business as “to
among some members.
This was what PKR and Umno said
yesterday.
» PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah
Wan Ismail appealed to the people to
continue to have faith and patience in
supporting the mission of PKR and Paka-
tan Rakyat. She said the announcements
made this week are based on consensus
and consultation within the party to work
towards a better future.
“I acknowledge the setbacks that
we have faced since the March (2008)
elections. Political parties are complex
organisms and political coalitions are
neither crystallised overnight, nor even
theSun | FRIDAY OCTOBER 30 2009
Penang rep
says Liow, CC
should resign
by Opalyn Mok
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: Newly-elected MCA
deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong
Lai and the entire central committee (CC)
ought to resign if they insist that party
president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat step
down after a no-confidence resolution
was passed against him at the Oct 10
extra-ordinary general meeting (EGM).
Penang MCA deputy chairman and
central committee member Eng Hiap
Boon reminded Liow that three resolu-
tions were voted on at the EGM.
“The three resolutions were for a
vote of no confidence against Ong, to
revoke any disciplinary action against
Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and to
reinstate Chua as the MCA deputy
president,” he said.
He said the first two resolutions
were carried through and only the third
resolution was thrown out.
“So if Liow and his supporters insist
Ong respect the outcome of the EGM
and quit as MCA president, they should
also do likewise,” he said.
Eng said the EGM overturned the
CC’s decision on the disciplinary action
against Chua, so it is tantamount to a
vote of no confidence against the CC.
“Then, under the rules of political
gamesmanship, the entire CC should
resign. I hope Liow is not too busy plot-
ting to the point that he has forgotten
about the second resolution,” he said in
a statement.
I’m not quitting,
says Yen Yen
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA vice-president
Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen does not
want to entertain any speculation that
she was being pressured to resign
from the party post and as minister.
“I will not entertain or respond to
such speculation because there is no
truth in it. Such speculation must stop
as it will tarnish my reputation and im-
age in the party and the government,”
she told reporters after launching
“The Malaysia Asean Heritage Trail
With Chef Wan” here yesterday.
– Bernama
carry out the business of consultancy
and preparation of environmental im-
pact assessment report for all kinds of
environmental works”.
Its directors are Lim Kit Siong, who
is the majority shareholder with 50,001
shares, and Wong Woon Ping who has
one share.
It is understood that Wee, who was
elected Ayer Itam MP in 2004 and is in
the thick of the MCA’s leadership crisis,
gave up some of his shares before enter-
ing politics.
When pressed further, he reiterated
that the revelations of his business deal-
ings at this time was to hurt him politi-
cally.
in a fortnight.
“The frustrations which have been
expressed by some colleagues within the
party and by some supporters are valid
and I remain open to engaging all parties
on the principle of mutual respect, under-
standing and an unrelenting commitment
to the principles of justice and fairness.”
» Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin said the turmoil is clear proof the
opposition pact has no ability to govern,
unlike the Barisan Nasional (BN).
He said the prolonged bickering among
the opposition parties had shown to the
people that they were incapable of admin-
istering the states which they won.”