By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — Former MCA secretary-general Datuk Ong Ka Chuan said he was saddened by the “catastrophic” decision made by party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.
Tee Keat yesterday dropped his Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Wanita chief Datuk Paduka Chew Mei Fun and seven others aligned to vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai from the party’s presidential council.
Tee Keat 's decision to drop Liow's supporters has plunged the party deeper into crisis with a disputed EGM looming.
The party president replaced Liow's men on the presidential council with supporters of Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, reflecting a deal between the two men to fill party appointments with leaders aligned either with Ong or Dr Chua.
Ka Chuan believes that the MCA must resolve its own problems but admitted that the current crisis is beyond the party’s control.
“I feel very sad over this situation. The party's dignity and integrity is important. The day we need outsiders, Registrar of Societies and PM, to come in to mediate means very clearly we are telling the whole world we are not able to solve our problems. As for the situation now, I think it's beyond expectations, beyond control,” he told reporters in the Parliament lobby.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who has so far resisted openly intervening in the MCA leadership tussle, said today he will meet party leaders individually after describing the crisis as getting “worse” and “more serious.”
Najib said unlike Umno which was now stable, the MCA does not instil confidence and is hampering Barisan Nasional's (BN) efforts to resuscitate the coalition and to reform its image in the eyes of the public.
Ka Chuan is also afraid Malaysians will have a poor perception of MCA because political parties are supposed to serve the public and not the other way.
“We are a political party... we are supposed to serve the people... now you need people to serve you so what is the perception you are going to portray,” he added.
He hoped the party leadership would address the crisis as soon as possible and not disappoint the grassroots.
“It is not too late, we can still rectify and prove to the people that we sincerely want to resolve our problem. Don't let this thing drag on and become more complicated,” he said.
He stressed that he does not favour any faction but only supports the spirit of the party’s constitution.
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Because MCA had lost its integrity and diginity long long time ago...