UPDATED
By Lee Wei Lian
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has offered to quit the MCA deputy presidency if that is what Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai wants.
Liow, who was MCA deputy president for 19 days till last Tuesday, has been disputing the reinstatement of Dr Chua as deputy president. Yesterday, ex-party legal advisor Datuk Leong Tang Chong also argued that Dr Chua had not been reinstated but that the MCA central committee had been misled into thinking so.
Dr Chua (picture) claimed that following the party EGM on Oct 10, Liow had met him and asked for his support to become president, explaining that MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat “cannot pakai already” (has to go).
“If it can end the crisis, ensure stability and unity I think the party is more important than Chua Soi Lek’s post,” Dr Chua told reporters today.
“But please tell me clearly, ‘I, Liow Tiong Lai, want your post.’ Make your position clear. Don’t change the goal post.”
Dr Chua said he did not consult anybody, including Ong, before making his offer today and slammed Leong for his allegations made yesterday.
“Leong is saying that I am dishonest and that the Registrar of Societies (RoS) officer is not capable,” he said.
He said the letter from RoS was read to the entire MCA central committee before it was debated and put to a vote.
According to Dr Chua, 22 voted to accept the RoS decision, 12 — including Liow — voted against, and 4 abstained, including Dr Chua.
“Liow should not have voted as he is an interested party,” said Dr Chua.
He also revealed that he had met Liow three times since Oct 10 and had one tele-conversation.
“I had advised him on Oct 13 not to fill up the deputy president’s post as I had written to the Registrar of Societies (RoS) seeking clarification and it would be embarrassing if the the RoS decided there was no vacancy. He wanted my people to support him to be president. He was also telling reasons why this president cannot ‘pakai’ already. I asked him, why none of you stood up before this? Why only after the vote of no-confidence (against Ong)? Why change of opinion now? But I got no answer.”
Liow and his supporters have called for an EGM on Nov 28 to endorse fresh party polls as a way to end the power struggle, which goes against the greater unity plan being pushed by Ong and Chua to accommodate the various factions.
Chua said that a dialogue with the party divisions as well as the youth and women’s wings on Nov 14 will explain the greater unity plan in more detail and that the entire central committee, including Liow, has been invited.
Among other items on the dialogue agenda include the constitutionality of the Nov 28 EGM, direct presidential elections and preparations for the next general elections.
“With each passing day, the general elections are coming nearer and nearer. The public is tired of all the infighting in MCA. Only you (the media) are still interested,” he said.
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