MCA's president Ong Ka Ting is a man in a hurry. Unlike other outgoing politicians who were in similar situation to settle outstanding issues before retiring, Ong's hustle and bustle is to convince pundits, MCA members, supporters and the Chinese community that he is indeed the man of the hour. After all, he is not a president-elect but a benefactor of the MCA factional fight.
However, in his rush to prove his mettle, Ong has shown more than once his side of inexperience or perhaps the stage he is standing on is too huge for him. Now, focus over the next few days and in the run up to his first BN supreme council meeting would be on how he can manage to calm the feathers he has ruffled and to soothe the negative sentiments created by his brash actions.
First, Ong announced a brave statement last week that MCA "is confident of becoming the strongest, most dynamic Barisan Nasional component party in facing the next general election" ( New Straits Times , July 11).
While this statement may be aimed at uplifting the morale of the party which has been down since the party's infighting three years ago, Ong should have been more careful not to antagonize the other partners in the BN coalition with such comparison.
Even if MCA can be the strongest and most dynamic party in the BN coalition in facing the general election, it is the collective strength of the coalition that matters. What is more crucial is for MCA to pledge sincere and full cooperation with its partners in the BN to ensure the coalition's success in the next general election.
On this note, MCA and Ong obviously have a lot of homework to do with regard to team work. The lack of this spirit has led to the hasty decision of the MCA supreme council to lift the suspension of the 'Porr Duo', Tan Cheng Liang and Lim Boo Chang.
Ong erred here again by merely consulting Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad when the proper procedure is to consult the BN supreme council, which has been given the mandate to rule on the issue of suspension and annulling it.
Informing the BN supreme council of the MCA's decision to end the duo's suspension after it is implemented is contrary to the spirit of the BN and implied that MCA is larger than the coalition itself.
If the BN supreme council were expected to "rubber stamp" the decision, its reputation would be at stake because the council must abide by the practice of the coalition which is to uphold team spirit and collectivism. It will also risk establishing an unhealthy precedent which may create discord in the coalition in the future by allowing individual dissent.
Next, expecting an opposition from Gerakan on its unilateral decision to lift the suspension, Ong "handed" an olive branch to his archrival to "forget about past differences" and requested for cooperation from the party ( Sin Chew Jit Poh , July 13).
Judging from his follies over the last few weeks, can Ong be taken seriously? Or does the statement have an implied message that it's best for Gerakan to 'cooperate' by endorsing the lifting of the duo's suspension or else face the wrath of the 'most dynamic and strongest party', MCA?
If MCA and Ong are serious to let bygones be bygones, he should have in the first place consulted Gerakan or at least Dr Koh Tsu Koon, the head of BN Penang on the possibility of lifting the suspension before enforcing it at the party's level. Further, both Lim and Tan have not hinted the slightest sense of remorsefulness of their action.
Subsequently, is MCA willing to lay down their claim of the coveted chief minister position of Penang and endorse fully the decision of the BN coalition to support Gerakan's leadership of the BN state government in Penang?
Ong has been long enough in politics and he should realise it takes more than lip service to mend the tension of both parties which has been centered on the chief minister position in Penang.
Ong's short tenure as acting president of MCA is already seeing his plate full especially with the long waited confirmation from Penang MCA chief Wong Kam Hong that the kingpin of the Sio Sam Ong triad Ong King Ee is a branch leader of the party.
The Gurney Drive branch chairman is high on the police wanted list for the triad's criminal activities which include kidnapping, dadah trafficking, robbery and murder.
Such a thing is set to dash MCA's hope of becoming the strongest and most dynamic party in the BN coalition by the next general election.
