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Friday, August 2, 2013

Soi Lek now the main actor in MCA's coup, says Tee Keat


Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat said the history of the party’s ‘coup’ which he experienced three years ago has repeated itself, only this time party president Chua Soi Lek has become the main actor.

“I had an unpleasant experience of a palace coup, but aren’t the recent (happenings) a reproduction (of my experience?) The only changes are the main cast,” Ong told the media after attending a private political talk last night.

Ong was referring to the party decision to sack Chua, the then-party deputy president, as a result of a sex video scandal which was said to have tarnished the party’s image.

“The party sacked Chua and this caused turmoil. I was deemed guilty then,” he said.

“But is this my responsibility alone? The presidential council and central committee made the decision. I had abstained from voting, but I took the responsibility,” he said.

azlanOng reiterated the similarities in his and Chua’s experiences, relating the difficulties they had gone through after losing their positions.

Chua has come under fire following MCA’s worst defeat in the last general election, and he was blamed for initiating the no-government-posts move.

Chua had repeatedly defended himself, claiming the no-government-post resolution was a collective decision made in party’s annual general meetings in 2010 and 2011.
 
The party faces infighting every decade with different batches of actors, Ong told the private talk held in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

He, however, opined that the current entanglement was more serious than he had imagined as it stretched even farther back to the party polls at the branches stage.

The party elections had started on July 29, where over 10,000 MCA branches, wanita and youth wings had gone through the nomination process, while the party central election will be held at Dec 21.

“Early this year, Chua and his deputy president Liow Tiong Lai had (openly) praised each other, Chua complimented Liow for being a very competent health minister, while Liow praised Chua for being able to unite the party,” he said.

“While the words are still ringing in each ears, things have changed in (just) a few months time,” he said, describing the extend of the current rift.

Keeping mum about his plans


Despite scattered rumours that Ong may be aiming for a comeback in the party polls, the former transport minister however kept mum when asked about his plans.

“It’s still too early to say (whether I will) contest for the top post,” he said.

NONETo those who wished the party well, Ong (left in photo) said the crux was not on the party elections but rather on ensuring the party is still relevant and able to revive in adversities.

Ong was pressed by the moderator and author Eddin Khoo on his reasons not to quit the party despite all the ordeals.

To this, he reiterated he would not quit the party just for the sake of a few people, as he was attracted by the party constitution laid down by party founder the late Tan Cheng Lock.

He admitted that he had committed a blunder by thinking that he would only be a one-term president, and thus he tried to push through few reform initiatives and launched the investigation into the Port Klang Free Zone scandal at the same time.

“I talked about reform then, I wanted direct elections within the party, I wanted re-registration of party members to solve the phantom members issue,” he said, adding that this resulted in negative comments that he was being over-ambitious, and some even said he had opened too many battle fronts.

“I made a blunder, I just thought I have only three years to complete all this..., then that would  be the end of my political career. But I felt the heat for not even a year,” he said.

Ong took the top post in Oct 2008, but was defeated by Chua in the party re-election in March 2010. Chua has openly jeered Ong for being a “short-lived” president.

Ong also said he was forced to become a maverick and loner as claimed by many, as he went to the battlefield without team members.

Comparing the party infighting in the last two decades, Ong described that they were fights for power, except the takeover of Nanyang Press Holding Bhd in 2001 which had caused concern among the public, and the party later split into Team A and Team B.

Ong reiterated that he disagreed with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Chinese tsunami remark over the last polls.

While he understood the premier’s disappointment and frustration after putting in much effort to woo Chinese voters, Ong claimed that the remark can't be justified.

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