Tee Keat the only one who can lead the Chinese
The MCA needs to change and the leader must be forward-looking, someone contemporary, someone with sufficient experience in politics, someone with vision for transformation of the party to meet the community’s demands.
By Dr Daphne Loke, The Star
AN OLD friend sent me an SMS in Chinese over his feelings on the MCA quandary saying: “People like you and me can only embrace each other and cry.” I can understand his feelings. This friend was active in the MCA during the 1970s, but a leadership tussle then caused him to quit politics.
The history of MCA has more pages written about such battles than representing the Chinese in national development.
Just when the battle smoke appeared to be settling, and the changes in the party he talked about every day then appeared to be taking shape, Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting masterminded the March 2008 general elections loss by fielding freshies (one candidate joined MCA only months before the election). The MCA was returned with only 15 parliamentary seats, the lowest since the 1969 general election. This current debacle is the most shameful of all – it was sparked off by a sex scandal.
The central player in the sex DVD challenged the incumbent president as he wants to lead the party of one million members and represent all the Chinese in Malaysia. He challenged the incumbent to a vote of no confidence and Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat lost by 14 votes.
Now, the old gang of former leaders felt that this young hand, barely one year in office, had no ability to lead the party. So they want to come out to salvage the party.
When the EGM became unavoidable. Much was written on whether the central delegates would be voting for themselves or did they have the mandate of the divisions.
Some felt that there was too much vested interest in the delegates’ decision, and that the community’s interest did not seem important.
Of all the press headlines I have read since the Oct 10 EGM, the most meaningful was “MCA unlikely to rebuild in time for general election”.
My personal feelings is that this should be the guiding light for Tee Keat to stay on.
By the provisions of the party constitution, the EGM was held. We cannot run away from reality. Consider Tee Keat’s position: Helpless at the receiving end of his peers’ wrath and faced with such events of unreason from a man who wants to run the affairs of the Chinese in the country with his pants down.
Barely one year in office, is such an outcome a surprise?
Which of the past presidents could survive such a vote of no confidence at the very same EGM? Therefore, by the same provisions in the constitution which enabled the emergency meeting, the EGM did not remove Tee Keat from his position as president.
How much longer can the Chinese just embrace each other and cry? We need someone to whitewash these pages of conflict in the party’s history.
The MCA needs to change and the leader must be forward-looking, someone contemporary, someone with sufficient experience in politics, someone with vision for transformation of the party to meet the community’s demands.
Tee Keat, a mechanical engineer and a Chinese newspaper columnist, had been actively involved in politics since 1986 when he became political secretary to Lee Kim Sai. He has served under four presidents before moving up the ranks to president.
While others fell, he was returned by the community in three consecutive general elections. Tee Keat should continue to do what he was mandated to do.
