KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — Embattled MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has sacked the party’s legal bureau chairman Datuk Leong Tang Chong, in the latest falling out with an ally.
Speculation is also rife that several other party officials who were appointed by Ong are now at "high risk" of being sacked, including national organising secretary Yoo Wei How.
When contacted, Leong, who was appointed by Ong, would only say: "No comment, no comment. Ask Tee Keat."
Leong is also non-executive chairman of Star Publications. It is unclear if his removal from his MCA post will have bearing on his position in the newspaper group controlled by MCA.
In a posting on his blog, Ong attempted to play down Leong’s removal, saying it was part of a normal review and reshuffle.
Ong confirmed the sacking in a post at his www.ongteekeat.net weblog which has become his main method of communication recently.
"I have decided to carry out some changes to the party's bureau, Today, Dato' Leong Tang Chong ceases to be chief of the MCA legal Bureau. The potential candidates have been shortlisted and I will be making an announcement on the replacement in due course," he wrote in his blog.
Leong had been given the job of going through the draft of the resolution for a new EGM called by Ong last week after he refused to resign as party president.
"It seems like Ong is planning something big," said one MCA insider about the development.
Ong has been under pressure recently after clashing with his former supporters in MCA's central committee over his call for them to take collective responsibility over the decision to sack former deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and resign en bloc.
The president is now trying to call an EGM to seek the approval from the party's general assembly to call for fresh elections, which is only possible if at least two-thirds of the central committee resign.
It was reported, however, that Ong now only has the support of 14 of the more than 40 central committee members and most are opposed to resigning.
Ong had lost a confidence vote during the Octr 10 EGM but he is not obligated to resign.
Under the party's constitution, Ong can only be forced to resign if he loses a confidence vote by at least a two-thirds majority.
Based on the same principle, Dr Chua is also seeking to be reinstated as the party deputy president.
By sacking Leong, Ong appears to be running out of options because sentiment among central committee members is clearly against him.
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