By Lee Wei Lian and Clara Chooi
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — After a dramatic recount, MCA delegates passed a no confidence vote against party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat by a wafer-thin 14 vote majority, and also overturned the suspension of Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
But it appears the party has been thrown into chaos because delegates also defeated a motion to specifically reinstate Dr Chua as deputy president.
Party secretary-general Wong Foon Meng told reporters that this meant Dr Chua would be reinstated as an ordinary member but not as deputy president.
Dr Chua said in a short statement on his blog that he accepted the decision of party delegates.
Ong was evasive when asked if he would resign after losing the confidence vote.
"You cannot simply don't follow what I say," he answered in cryptic fashion to a question of whether he was resigning.
Both Ong and Wong said the party central committee would meet soon to discuss the implication's of today's EGM vote. Wong later announced that the central committe meeting will be held on Thursday Oct 15.
"Any development and action to be taken will be discussed collectively by the central committee.
"There is nothing much we can elaborate on at this juncture," said Ong.
Ong had lost the vote of no-confidence motion by 1151 against 1141 votes.
The delegates also voted by 1204 against 1095 votes to approve the motion to annul the Presidential Council's decision to sack Dr Chua and the subsequent central committee decision to suspend Dr Chua instead.
But delegates surprisingly voted by 1184 against 1110 votes against reinstating Dr Chua as deputy president.
While it may appear to be Barisan Nasional’s (BN) biggest nightmare come true with the second biggest party in the ruling coalition split like never before, it could also provide an opening for the party to move forward.
The central committee may decide to appoint an interim president and vice-presidents Liow Tiong Lai and Kong Cho Ha have already been mentioned as possible candidates.
But what is clear from today's results is that the biggest loser is Ong who while he has not immediately done so will have to resign.
Dr Chua may not have been reinstated as the party No 2 but he has shown that he remains a potent force in the party and Ong had made a mistake in trying to sideline him.
But uncertain days lie ahead for MCA with both camps not expected to give up the fight easily.
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