Ong checkmates Dr Chua Soi Lek?

(The Edge) The MCA central committee’s (CC) move to suspend party deputy president Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek for four years, thereby overturning the presidential council’s earlier decision to sack him, may have ended his hope of assuming leadership of the party.

Chua and his supporters are now in a bind after a checkmate, or at least an attempted one, by party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, as no resolution is on the table at the impending EGM for the annulment of the central committee decision.

Not by any stretch of the imagination, this could signal the end of the road for Chua as the impending EGM will not be his D-Day given that the CC has made the EGM resolutions in relation to him irrelevant.

As rightly said by Ong himself, the Oct 10 EGM will be an avenue to resolve the party’s leadership problems — his problems, without Chua being part of the equation as the latter will be ineligible to stand for election, if any arose, given his continuing suspension. The EGM will strictly be a judgment on Ong by the central delegates. It’s a lose-lose for Chua and a win-draw for Ong.
The five resolutions to be tabled at the EGM are:
•     To move a motion of no confidence against Ong;
•     To annul the decision of the presidential council to expel Chua;
•     To reinstate Chua as MCA deputy president;
•     To revoke any appointment, including that of deputy president, made before the EGM; and
•     That no disciplinary action be taken against the EGM requisitionists.

Now, for a clearer picture on why Chua is no longer part of the picture.

The second motion has been made irrelevant by the central committee. Even if the sacking were annulled by the delegates, the four-year suspension would still stand.

Furthermore, it is highly arguable if the third motion could still be carried without the prior annulment of the suspension. The contents of the resolution and the turn of events will become a full-blown dispute between the two factions, if they were not already.

Remember what Ong had said after he accepted the opposing faction’s resolutions? He described them as “rather conspicuous”. He too had said the reinstatement of Chua as deputy president would only be relevant if, and only if, he were reinstated as a member first.

Chua is back as a member, but a suspended one at that, with no resolution to annul his suspension.

That is why observers say Chua and his supporters acted too hurriedly to call for the EGM and cementing the resolutions, instead of waiting for the central committee to meet and decide on his fate in the party.

Observers have said this was the “tactical” blunder the faction had made.

That is precisely what Chua and his supporters are supposedly incensed about and for not having seen it coming — that is the checkmate by Ong.

Chua was allowed under the party constitution to appeal his sacking by the presidential council to the CC, but he did not. Instead his supporters proceeded to call for the EGM before the CC deliberated on his sacking.

Yet, Ong’s own leadership fate is by no means secure, given the proposed motion of no confidence in him. The rejection of the motion will place him firmly in control of the party.

In the event that the motion is passed, Ong has said not only he, but the entire presidential council, would have to step down. There is now conjecture that even the CC members would have to step down.

That exerts pressure on the majority of central delegates on whether they want to see their favoured office holders being subjected to elections again. In the event of fresh party elections and if Chua continues to be suspended after the Oct 10 EGM, he would not be eligible to contest the president’s post.

Whatever the outcome of the EGM, a firm resolution to the MCA leadership saga may not yet be on the horizon, even with trust reaffirmed in Ong.