MCA should shape up or ship out!

The Leadership fracas in MCA is dragging far too long and complicated. It is also eroding the confidence and eventually votes of the Malaysian of Chinese ethnicity, As a founding member of Perikatan and an intergral part of Barisan Nasional (BN), MCA should consider shaping up or risk being shipped out.

There is a call for Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak, who is the BN Chairman to intervene.

The Sun has the story:

MCA third force wants PM to intervene   by Giam Say Khoon Ling Liong Sik In a press conference, third force spokesman Datuk Tan Kah Choun said if Najib is unable to meet all past party chiefs, he should at least see two in particular: Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Michael Chen. Ling helmed the party for 17 years, while Chen, who was MCA deputy president and the secretary-general of the Alliance during former prime minister Tun Abdul Razak’s tenure, did much to move Sino-Malay friendship forward, said Tan. “Some of the 11 past presidents and deputy presidents had undergone party crises and they have deep impressions and ideas on how to solve the present problem. The prime minister will get the most suitable idea and help to solve the crisis and it should not be seen as Umno interfering into MCA party matters. “If the above measures are unable to resolve the crisis, I strongly recommend the PM consult former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also known as ‘Doctor Malaysia’, as he had successfully resolved at least three MCA crises,” he said. Tan said the third force, which emerged on the scene just before the Oct 10 MCA extraordinary general meeting (EGM), had succeeded in ousting both party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as both had their leadership rejected by the central delegates at the EGM. However, following this, the duo then joined forces to come up with a unity plan for MCA. He said the greater unity plan (GUP) is a positive approach for the party as Ong and Chua are prepared to work together for the benefit of the party unity and the nation. “This dramatic change proves the saying ‘in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies’. Such dramatic change requires intelligence, wisdom, and mutual undestanding to make it a success. “I must reiterate that MCA does not have any resources to split and BN does not have time to wait (before the next General Election),” he said. Tan added that unfortunately, some of the central committee (CC) members were afraid or worried that they may be left out from the GUP and decided to call for a second EGM on Nov 28 to safeguard their own positions and interests. The Nov 28 EGM was requisitioned by vice-president Datuk Seri Liong Tiong Lai’s faction to call for a fresh party election as they felt that the incumbents have not respected the outcome of the Oct 10 EGM. Asked what the ideal solution is for the MCA, he said all parties should put aside their personal interests and make the GUP a success. “We do not mind who will be the president or the deputy president as long as the party can be united,” he said. Tan said if Ong and Chua can work together for party unity, Liow should try to adapt into this system and stop having other agendas.

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The legacy during Fourth Prime Minister and Third BN Chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s tenure was a smart move. The wisdom of the BN Chairman for over 22 years and going through two MCA Leadership stand-off should be taken into consideration.

This has been done before. The ‘Team A’ Vs ‘Team B’ is now a tradition within MCA.

The first was when Tan Sri Michael Chen stood for the MCA Presidency against Tan Sri Lee San Choon who was the incumbent in the 1979. He lost and resigned as Housing and Local Government and eventually left MCA in 1981.  Then  it was the stand off between the factions of Tan Koon Swan Vs Dato’ Dr. Neo Yee Pan in November 1985. Then came Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik having a Leadership stand off with Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek in 2ooo, which escalated again in 2003. The latest is Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting Vs Dato’ Seri Chua Ji Meng. In all stand off, the Leaders left or were made to leave. After these leaders leave, then MCA members via the central delegates are free to decide who to choose.

There were precedence Leadership fracas in MCA and UMNO Leaders in their capacity wearing the BN hat intervening. In the 1984-5 MCA stand off, Tun Ghaffar Baba (then BN Secretary General) moderated and an amicable solution was reached that kept MCA intact. Then the stand off between President Tun Ling Liong Sik and Deputy President Tan Sri Lee Kim Sai in the lates 80s was resolved by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad moderating.  Then under the instructions of BN Chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad after the request of the warring factions within the Chinese BN component party, Deputy BN Chairman PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was sent to moderate the long stand off between the MCA top leaders that saw Ling and Lim leaving simultaneously in 2003 and handing over the Presidency and Deputy Presidency to Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy respectively. Its time for MCA to allow PM Dato’ Seri Najib as the BN Chairman to step in and moderate an amicable solution for the party and keep the confidence and support for BN intact.

The right thing to do at the moment is to get BN Chairman PM Dato’ Seri Najib intervene and for President Dato’ Seri Ong Tee Keat and Deputy President Dato’ Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek to resign immediately. After all, the MCA Leadership fracas now is the personality of the two leaders clashed as the result of poor MCA succession planning. The prompt resignation will then lead to let another EGM to decide who should lead. It is also a good time for MCA central delegates to weed off all ‘undesireable’ personalities, whose true colours are shown this round.

If this MCA Leadership fracas is not resolved, then it will definitely effect the Malaysian Chinese support for BN. As the second most important partner and founding member of BN (then Perikatan), MCA has the moral obligations to set things right, now. BN cannot afford to prolong this. Especially as UMNO has managed to start to gain grounds amongst the Malays (who are the fixed deposit for BN) and now Pakatan Rakyat is having a lot of inter and intra party problems.

The fact is that, MCA is unable to do their bit. The 12th General Elections demonstrated that in the final analysis, MCA did not deliver the Chinese votes. In fact, MCA now enjoying 15 seats in Dewan Rakyat is out of the goodwill of the Malay fixed deposits, courtesy of UMNO’s grassroot effort at the respective constituencies. Neither were they able to improve the support amongst Malaysian Chinese voters in the series of by-elections since. So, MCA should buck and and get into shape. BN can no longer tolerate this slacking.

In short; MCA: Shape up or ship out, now!

*Updated 600pm

*Updated 700pm

The comments of Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Chairman BN Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd. Yasin on the call for PM Dato’ Seri Najib to ‘intervene’ in the MCA Leadership fracas is captured by Malaysian Insider:

Muhyiddin hints at MCA intervention

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 13 – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reiterated today that Barisan Nasional (BN) will only step in to mediate in an on-going MCA leadership tussle if such intervention is agreed to by the party’s central committee members.

The ruling federal coalition has thus far kept a hands-off policy in dealing with its second-biggest component party, which has seen its president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek fight and make up, only to join forces against a “third force”.

“What we have said previously is that we do not want to interfere and prefer MCA leaders to find the way to a solution for the political crisis, which is taking too long,” the BN deputy chairman said here.

“But what has been said by the prime minister … if all of the central working committee members agree for us to play a role, then we are ready.

“It is certain that I and the prime minister are ready but we want a consensus because if only two agree and the rest don’t, then it will not happen,” he told reporters after presenting certificates to members of the Malaysian contingent to the World Robotic Olympiad 2009 here.

The Malaysian Insider understands that BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak favours the “greater unity plan” to be implemented in the next six months but is inclined towards fresh polls in MCA in the long run.

The deputy prime minister explained that intervention is an option only if a consensus for it could be reached by the party but stressed that BN has had a role in previous MCA crises.

“I am of the opinion that there must be a solution to this problem, which is becoming more complex, so maybe if they find it hard to solve the problem among themselves, then they might need to find a middleman.

“I remember during Tun Ghafar Baba’s time and Tun Dr Mahathir’s time, there have been cases … but that is the decision that they themselves must make and it is not because we purposely want to interfere in their problems,” he added.

MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong have recently revealed that they are willing to meet with Najib to discuss ways to resolve the crisis.

Wee had said that that prime minister’s intervention would not be seen as an Umno leader meddling into MCA’s problems.

Today, MCA’s “third force” spokesman Datuk Tan Kah Choun, a central delegate, asked Najib to consult 11 MCA party veterans, in particular Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Michael Chen.

Other veterans named by Tan as men Najib should consult were Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, Tan Sri Lee San Choon, Datuk Dr Neo Yee Pan, Datuk Mak Hon Kam, Tan Koon Swan, Tan Sri Lee Kim Sai, Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, Ka Ting and Kong Choy.

As a last resort, he added, Najib should consult Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had “solved three previous MCA crises.”

Dr Mahathir has also called on Najib to help MCA resolve its present leadership crisis.

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Its time for MCA members to pressure the CWC to invite PM Dato’ Seri Najib to ‘intervene’.