Seeking the truth behind MCA’s iron curtain

This article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 6th October 2013

Recently, a group of 23 MCA division chairmen publicly questioned the management of the party’s finances and assets, especially during the reign of party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

There are indeed lots of suspicion. What had actually gone wrong? No one knows exactly what is happening in the MCA’s financial and asset management. It has been so secret and confidential under the hands of the party president.

However, the 23 division chairmen are adamant in finding out the truth behind the party’s iron curtain. In fact, the majority of the party members also suspect that Chua might be rushing to sell off the various party assets ahead of the upcoming party elections.

Right now, not only those 23 division chairmen are demanding to know the truth, but the press as well as ordinary party members are also keeping a close watch on the origins of the RM107 million gained by the party as claimed by Chua. The source of that income has been kept confidential and some are beginning to question if that large sum of money is legitimate in the first place.

The latest controversy also brought into focus the attempt to dispose of the party’s stake in Matang Holdings Bhd, which was widely opposed by the majority of MCA members because the offer price was not reasonable. According to many party members, the Matang deal was not beneficial to the party at all, as well as to other independent shareholders.

The other issue that came into question is the transfer of the RM1.28 billion shares of the Star Publications Bhd belonging to MCA from the party-owned property manager, Huaren Trustees Sdn Bhd, into the direct control of the party president himself.

The party president ought to provide his full explanations to the MCA members as well as the general public on all those pressing issues if Chua and the entire party central committee still want to project themselves as serving the community and all Malaysians.

What is making things worse is Chua might make a U-turn over his previous pledge of not seeking re-election in the coming party elections after MCA suffered its worst ever defeat in last May’s general election. Besides, Chua and his henchmen are also working round the clock to call for an EGM to reverse their “no government posts” resolution made in the last party annual general meeting last year. These moves are signs of desperation.

As the MCA party elections campaign has turned into an intense battlefield between the rival factions, the management of the party’s finances and assets ought to be taken off from the current leadership and handed over to an appointed trustee to manage.

Such a move is to ensure that the party’s coffers and assets would not be misused by either factions or fall into the hands of some irresponsible party leaders for their personal gains.

Why did the party president want to take over control of the MCA’s finance and asset management in such a rush? Even MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai is now questioning his party boss over that subject. So do some central committee members.

Everyone is wondering now, who gave Chua such powers to decide on how the party’s finance and assets should be managed? Did the party constitution allow the party president to act on his own on such matters without the need to go through the party’s AGM? Has Chua got the powers to veto the central committee and instead solely depend on his inner circle – the MCA presidential council – to handle important issues like determining the positions of the party’s finances and assets without the need to go through a larger quorum?

The question of accountability and transparency will then come into picture. Will Chua allow himself to be scrutinised in the dealings of the party’s finance and assets which are now under his direct control?

Will the MCA president be able to come clean with all his explanations and justifications on the many allegations of mismanagement made against him by disgruntled party leaders?

And if Chua and his allies were to use their full control over the party’s finance and assets to their advantage for the upcoming party elections, he and his men will be bringing MCA much closer to its demise.