Tee Keat: Chua shifted goalpost for Yen Yen

Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat has poked holes in his successor’s rationale for allowing vice-president Ng Yen Yen to retain her post in the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board, despite the party’s resolution not to take up government posts after the general election.

Ong said that MCA president Chua Soi Lek’s argument that the Ng can take up the post as she was appointed by the tourism minister is weak as other members have been penalised for taking up other government posts.

“If this were to hold water, certainly the debatable resolution could not prohibit any MCA member from accepting ministerial and deputy ministerial posts, as these are political appointment made by the prime minister and consented to by the Agong. 

“Based on the same argument, the common question raised is why must Tee Siew Keong (right) be penalised by the MCA disciplinary board for accepting the Johor state executive councillor (exco) post...?” he asked.

Tee was suspended for three years for accepting the exco post.

Yesterday, Chua said Ng, a former tourism minister, did not defythe MCA’s stand as the appointment was made by now Tourism Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz and not upon recommendation by the party. 

“If one was to read the ‘no government posts’ resolution passed in the party’s annual general meeting in totality, (it states) nobody should accept government posts normally recommended by the party,” Chua had said. 

When asked about his Penang Port Commission chairperson position, Chua said he had responded to the issue several times before.

“Do not politicise this. Don’t bully a senior citizen like me, this is not right,” he joked yesterday. 

To this, Ong pointed out that Chua, who is from a rival faction in the party, had recently said that the resolution can only be revoked at an annual general meeting or extraordinary general meeting.

The resolution was made following MCA’s poor showing in the 12th and 13th general elections.  
“But his statement on Ng Yen Yen’s case had clearly indicated that he could unilaterally reverse the AGM resolution by shifting the goalpost at his whims and fancies

“Indeed , rules can be bent by those at helm, especially in partisan politics,” he said.