By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — MCA vice president Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen is confident that the party members seeking unity will accept the peace plan between party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and ousted deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
She explained that the MCA grassroots know that both Ong and Dr Chua command a huge portion of the party’s delegates.
“As far as the grassroots are concerned they just want to see the party united. They may have their support for so and so but in the end they want to come together and the grassroots are very clever,” the Tourism Minister told reporters after launching the Fabulous Food 1Malaysia logo here.
“They know that Chua Soi Lek got 49 per cent and Ong Tee Teak got 49 per cent of votes, combined they have 98 percent and this is very powerful,” she added.
Ong announced a peace pact on Thursday, agreeing to work with his bitter rival Dr Chua to unite the party wracked by severe infighting.
The Malaysian Insider understands that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who brokered the plan, is also unsure if the idea of maintaining the status quo in MCA will work.
Under the plan, both agreed to bury their differences and find ways to stabilise the party, with the two at the helm, without bringing the party to the brink.
Another EGM and fresh polls is also off the agenda under the truce.
Ng pointed out that all the response and reports she has received on the peace plan has been very positive.
“Common sense will say that we want to bring the forces together. So far the reports to me has been very very very positive, including the NGOs,” she said.
She also rejected the notion that there exists a third force.
“All this talk about the third force is not really a third force. They are just a group that may see things differently. That is all,” she added.
Ng refused to comment if there will be any major reshuffle in the party but stressed that Ong wants a united and inclusive MCA.
“Ong Tee Keat talked about being an inclusive MCA so I believe he wants back everybody who can contribute in many ways to the party. So give them a chance to work,” she said.
Ng also denied that she was involved with the peace plan.
“Immediately after the results, all of us were concerned. So everyone was talking of what to do including the grassroots, so I am not responsible to putting them together,” she said.
Ng is confident that the pact would re-energise MCA and joked that she hopes both Ong and Dr Chua would “live happily ever after.”
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