It has been a turn of events indeed when just a few days before the party AGM, a host of resignations from MCA’s central committee finally paved the way for fresh party elections.
The sudden announcement from MCA Deputy President Dr Chua Soi Lek (who in the last few months has been seen as desperately clinging onto his position was a 180 degree turn – something he seems to be doing a lot of these days.
But this decision was not unanticipated to those in the party. The fact is, Chua only has a 35% support from the party’s delegates made up of a team of has-beens. He knows he is fighting with teams like Liow Tiong Lai’s which is made up of the up-and-coming young and the ambitious (albeit devious) team of Ong Tee Keat.
He knows that he is not acceptable to other Barisan Nasional leaders and his position as MCA deputy president is in controversy. He doesn’t have much to stand on.
Yet he is a smart man. He does not want to be seen as giving in, so what does he do? He resigns – a classic move, and not one that he hasn’t taken before. But now that he has stepped down from his throne, what happens? There are plenty of question marks.
Will he make another U-turn and campaign quietly with Ong Tee Keat during campaigning before the fresh elections? Insiders say he may want to but the alliance has already seen fissures surfacing. Ong’s team cannot work with him – one of the push factors for his resignation.
It also remains suspect why he called for a solo press conference last Thursday. Even so-called heavyweight Kong Cho Ha (cabinet minister and top MCA vice-president) did not turn up and why was Chua’s strongest supporter Dr Ng Yen Yen kept out of the loop?
While we are still unaware and wary of Chua’s motives, we cannot fault his decision that will finally allow the party members to once again have our voices heard. To see power-hungry Chua reduced to accepting his fate and in the process inadvertently respecting justice, is a battle won.
In the meantime, Ong has found himself in a ditch of his own doing. His convenient partner has bailed out leaving him on his own. The desperate man is now insisting that he has always supported fresh party elections and that the latest turn of events is a result of Chua and Liow conspiring against him.
Seeing him clutch at straws is pitiable and comical in a tragic sort of way. Fresh elections are the only way to uphold integrity and democracy in the party. And for elections to be a neutral affair, it has to happen without pacts and underhanded deals.
There is no need for convenient alliances. Now that our leaders have finally given us the respect we deserve, we are happy that justice, although a little cold, can eventually be served.
