Liow turns tables on Chua for GE disaster

MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai blames party president's "lack of moral values" for party's disastrous performance during national polls.

UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: The fight for MCA’s presidential post intensified today when deputy president Liow Tiong Lai blamed incumbent chief Dr Chua Soi Lek for the party’s disastrous performance during the general election in May.

Liow turned the tables on Chua following news yesterday that 20 central committee members had called for an extraordinary general assembly to censure the deputy president for failing in his duty as the chairman of the general election preparation committee.

“This loss was because we have a president with moral issues. The president has made the members ashamed to face the people, especially the women,” Liow told a press conference here.

It was understood that Liow was referring to Chua’s sex-tape scandal in 2008 which forced the latter to relinquish his post as Health Minister and party positions. He later made a political comeback to become the party president.

“During house to house campaigns, we were hurled with abusive words, and the people insulted our members for having such an immoral leaders.

“There were also BN leaders who did not want our president to campaign in their respective constituencies as they were afraid (the scandal) would affect voting in the area,” he said.

“Therefore, claims that I did not perform my duty as election chairman and did not give publicity to MCA is not true. I stress that a lot of issues regarding the party’s strategy are determined by the party president himself,” he added.

Liow said the president’s role included determining which candidate may contest, speaking to the president of BN, discussing seat swaps and allocations with other component parties and allocating funds to MCA candidates.

“It is clear that the president decides the direction of the party. Therefore it is illogical to blame the defeat (during GE13) on me and say I have to be responsible for the overall loss,” he said.

Liow: I’m ready for the EGM

Liow expressed his readiness and confidence in facing the upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) as called for by the 20 central committee members.

“I’m ready to face this EGM and also confident that MCA representatives will consider this issue carefully before coming to an important and right decision,” he said.

“The central committee members are not voting machines. We are fighting for the cause of party… not following individual directives.

“I’ve been leading the transformation team and the central committee members understand this and know that I’m working hard after our disastrous defeat,” he added.

Liow then criticised Chua for not walking the talk, and claimed that he had even hindered the party’s progress.

“He (Chua) has been acting as hero all the time, but the most important thing is to deliver result for community and party,” he said. “There is no point shouting slogans if you cannot deliver progress and results for the party.”

Yesterday, the undercurrent in MCA took a dramatic turn with 20 central committee member petitioning for an EGM to censure Liow.

It is one of four resolutions in the petition. The other three resolutions concern the party’s stand on the acceptance of appointments by the Federal Government, state governments and government-linked companies.

According to the petition, the reasons to censure Liow include his refusal to accept and respect the party’s collective decisions, and him failing in his duty as chairman of the general election preparation committee.

It also said Liow’s actions had provoked party infighting after the national polls and subsequently tarnished the image of MCA.