The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat moved today to block an attempt by leaders aligned to Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to hold another party EGM on Nov 28.

The party president’s political secretary Simon Lim declared today that any EGM convened shall be unlawful because the requisitionists did not provide a valid reason for one of their proposed resolutions.

Supporters of Liow put up full-page advertisements in major Chinese newspapers today giving notice for their proposed EGM, after the party headquarters controlled by Ong refused to host the proposed meeting which is aimed at paving the way for fresh polls to solve the leadership crisis.

In the newspaper notices, two resolutions are being proposed.

The first is for the party to hold fresh party elections based on the following reasons:

• that Ong had disrespected the decision of the EGM on Oct 10 that approved a motion of no confidence in his leadership;

• that the greater unity plan of Ong and Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is shrouded in secrecy;

• that the Oct 10 EGM vote of no confidence against Ong, while denying the reinstatement of Dr Chua as party deputy president, has not been respected; and

• that since Oct 10, Ong and Dr Chua are unable to work with the central committee.

The second resolution calls for the nullification of any changes made by Ong to party positions after Oct 10.

Lim said that a serious and grave flaw to the notice was that no reasons or grounds were given in proposing the second resolution and this showed a failure to comply with the party constitution.

“Therefore the reasons published in advertisements in Chinese newspapers are false and stand to be corrected.

“Thus, there are no valid reasons to convene a second EGM. Any EGM convene shall be unlawful.”

Meanwhile, Ong, who has been hit with accusations of reneging on his promise to resign as president, attempted to take the high ground today by appointing Liow along with other leaders to his greater unity plan task force.

Besides Liow, Ong announced today that he was appointing Dr Chua, all of the party vice-presidents, the Youth and Wanita chiefs, and most of the leading central committee members.

While the greater unity plan had been announced two weeks ago, little or no details have been put forward by Ong.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the plan basically entails concessions from Ong to appoint leaders aligned to Dr Chua to significant party positions.

Liow and his supporters are arguing that it was quite clear that a majority of the delegates at the Oct 10 EGM made a decision which pointed towards fresh elections.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak is hoping that the peace plan between Ong and Dr Chua will hold and put an end to the infighting, but signs are that will not happen.

Many in the broader Chinese community, including those in the guilds and clan associations, have looked upon the antics with some distaste.

Ong, the party president, has been blamed for much of the troubles MCA finds itself in.

Scathing editorials in the fiercely-independent Chinese newspapers have pointed the fingers at Ong.

This week, Sin Chew Daily, the country’s No. 1 Chinese newspaper, even went to the extent of calling Ong the worst MCA president in history.

This will make it hard for an MCA under Ong to recapture Chinese votes which are now solidly for the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties, particularly the DAP.

But for now Ong has used the power of incumbency well to ensure he will remain as MCA president.

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