Tussle threatens to sink BN’s vote hope
By Zubaidah Abu Bakar (NST)
The sacking of MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek could see more Chinese support for the opposition, making it tougher for Barisan Nasional to recapture the
non-Malay vote, writes ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR
THE move to oust MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Kiat by his rival group is called tow ong in Mandarin. It literally means "topple Ong".
To counter this, Ong's supporters have an interesting battle cry, bu tow ong, a reference to a roly-poly inflatable toy that rights itself when pushed over. It indicates that Ong is a leader who cannot be toppled.
It so happens that the Chinese characters for bu tow ong the toy, is identical with "Ong who cannot be toppled". The phrase is, therefore, used to tell the faction led by sacked party deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek that attempts to strip Ong of his post will be futile.
It also serves as a reminder that Ong always rises from crises, having been almost sacked under former president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik for indiscipline and being reprimanded, twice, by the cabinet for raising the issue of the university intake quota and for criticising alleged marked-up claims for the construction of two Chinese schools in Johor.
In a twist of events to the open leadership tussle with Dr Chua, Ong has chosen to remove his enemy, instead of working on a compromise.
On Wednesday, the MCA presidential council that Ong chairs, endorsed the recommendation of the party's disciplinary panel that his deputy be sacked over an old sex scandal. The decision has not gone down well with many in the rank and file.
Dr Chua, on holiday at an undisclosed destination, had anticipated a suspension.
He can appeal against the sacking but an aide dismissed this possibility, saying appealing to the central committee would be pointless as most of those who sat on the committee were Ong's men. Also, the presidential council had unanimously endorsed the disciplinary panel's decision.
Sacking Dr Chua is a big risk the transport minister is taking since he himself has come under criticism by party members over his battle with Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, the Youth chief and treasurer-general of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party over the scandal-plagued Port Klang Free Zone.
Dr Chua's sacking threatens to split MCA further as his supporters are preparing to press for an extraordinary general meeting to unseat Ong on a vote of no-confidence — a plan that has been brewing for several months.
Six divisions in Dr Chua's base of Johor yesterday called for Ong to be suspended as party president.
Earlier, five divisions in Perak had also called for Ong to be suspended over the allegations that Tiong, the member of parliament for Bintulu, had donated RM10 million for MCA through Ong.
This was denied by the party, and Ong has, in turn, filed a RM500 million suit against Tiong, in an escalation of the open quarrel which has embarrassed Barisan Nasional.
A supporter of Dr Chua says more divisions, especially those from Johor, will be making calls for Ong's removal.
There are those who think Dr Chua has been victimised. After all, he had made a political comeback when party members voted him in as MCA's No. 2 last October, after he had apologised and resigned as health minister over the sex video which surfaced in 2007. Also, the person who had brought up the charges subsequently dropped them.
Increasing dissatisfaction in MCA could see more Chinese support for the resurgent opposition led by former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
This is cause for concern to BN because as long as MCA is divided, it will be impossible for the coalition to recover the Chinese ground.
Malaysians, says Professor James Chin of Monash Univerisity, Malaysia, now look to Umno and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to provide a solution, or at least play a mediatory role. This is expected as MCA had suffered from infighting in the past, and, in most cases, it was Umno that worked out a ceasefire.
And, it was also Najib who appointed Dr Chua BN's coordinating committee chairman last May.
Commenting on the sacking, Najib said that he would not interfere unless invited to be the mediator. The faster the matter was resolved, the better for BN, he added.
Analyst Ong Kian Ming thinks Dr Chua's sacking reinforces the notion that MCA leaders are more focused on trying to compete for power within the party than to address the reasons for its loss of the Chinese vote in the 2008 general election.
The Chinese make up more than a quarter of Malaysia's 27 million people, and are the second-most important ethnic group vote bank after the majority Malays.
Many urban Chinese rejected MCA last year for failing to fight discrimination, including long-held policies deemed to favour the Malays.
But MCA has clung on in some ethnically mixed seats with support from Chinese and Malay voters, mostly in BN's bastion of Johor where seven of the 15 parliamentary constituencies it won are located.
And even if the MCA manages to find a solution, Chin doubts if the leaders, both barely on talking terms, will be willing to compromise for long.
Former MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn has urged the party's central leaders to reverse the decision to sack Dr Chua.
"This is the time when we are supposed to strengthen unity within MCA and BN."
The crisis in MCA is threatening Najib's efforts to win back the votes of non-Malays by promising equal treatment for all races under an inclusive 1Malaysia slogan, and loosening rules giving economic preferences to Bumiputeras.
As with other BN components, MCA, as the second largest party in the coalition, has a responsibility to make this happen.
