KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 - Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today dropped some not-so-subtle hints that MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat should step down as MCA president.
The prime minister told a press conference that since the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) was the highest meeting authority in any party structure, the MCA leadership was confined to accepting the results of yesterday’s controversial meeting.
In a nutshell, Najib is telling Ong to go and make way for a new leader, whomever he or she may be.
During yesterday’s dramatic EGM, MCA central delegates did the unexpected – they booted out both Ong and his estranged deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek by voting on three resolutions.
Ong had lost the vote of confidence against his leadership and Dr Chua had successfully gotten his sacking annulled but failed to retain his deputy president’s post.
Despite the decision, Ong still has the choice of clinging to his post as president since the party constitution stipulates that he can only be removed if two-thirds of the party’s central delegates voted against him.
In the EGM, Ong lost the confidence motion by 1155 against 1141 votes, a wafer-thin majority of 14 votes.
As such, the straight-talking president did not do what most had expected him to do and step down graciously from his post immediately. Instead, he said that the party’s CC would first meet (this Thursday) to deliberate on the matter before delivering its decision.
Najib’s statement today however, delivers a big blow that would surely further dent Ong’s already bruised ego. If anything, Najib has clearly indicated that Ong is no longer the right person to lead the second biggest component party in the Barisan Nasional (BN).
“I really hope the MCA leadership would make a decision quickly to repair the party and return the confidence of its members and the people in it.
“Hence, whatever decisions that the CC plans to make later, must be based on the decisions made in yesterday’s EGM,” he said after launching the book “Helming the Times”, a compilation of his speeches on Malaysian politics and the weaknesses in Umno, in Mid Valley Megamall here this morning.
When asked however if he was directly telling Ong to resign from his post, Najib cryptically said:
“What I am saying is that whatever it is, the decisions from the EGM has the highest authority within the MCA or any party – it must form the basis for the leadership solution in the party.
“I believe and trust that the leaders of MCA know that is needed to restore the credibility and confidence in the leadership of MCA.”
Without being specific, Najib also firmly reprimanded MCA leaders for allowing their internal party bickering to drag on and further tarnish BN’s already blackened image and said the party needed to straighten up and fly right, real soon.
He said that it was important for MCA to become a strong force in the BN and to do so, the party’s leadership needed to be credible and effective.
“The MCA leadership also has to be capable of maintaining the support of the Chinese community in backing the BN.
“As such, the leadership must settle its problems and internal matters in such a manner that they would not be repeated,” he said.
Najib also said that all parties within the BN should respect the results of the EGM for it was based on the decisions and actions taken by MCA’s members themselves.
“If we take a course of action that is based on our wisdom and we put the importance of the BN and the MCA at the forefront, then I believe that the MCA can return as a strong and stable friend in the BN,” he said.
Najib brushed aside speculation MCA would soon become like the MIC, which is widely speculated to soon be replaced by the newly launched Makkal Sakti party to represent the Indian community.
“No, no, no, no, no. I never said Makkal Sakti would replace the MIC. All I said was that we in the BN are willing to work with any party or non-governmental organisation that is in support of the government,” he said.
In fact, Najib added, Umno was also willing to help MCA to settle its problems but would do so only if the Chinese-based component party wanted its help.
“We are willing to help only for as long as they want us to help out. I don’t want Umno to be misinterpreted as interfering in the affairs of the MCA,” he said.
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