MCA disciplinary committee to quit en bloc

(The Star) – The five-man MCA disciplinary committee has decided to resign en bloc, committee member Lai Kuan Fook confirmed on Thursday.

He said the reason for the resignation was that “the party constitution and also present circumstances had resulted in the committee not being able to function.”

Lai declined to say when the decision was taken or whether it was linked to the committee’s recommendation to sack deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in August.

He said they would leave it to committee chairman Datuk Ng Cheng Kiat to inform party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat of the mass resignation.

The other committee members are Datuk Jimmy Low Boon Hong, Datuk Ng Soon Por and Ng Chih Siang.

The committee made headlines after its controversial recommendation to sack Dr Chua was accepted by the party’s presidential council on Aug 26. The sentence was subsequently reduced to a four-year suspension by the party’s central committee on Sept 19.

Dr Chua had his membership reinstated at the Oct 10 extraordinary general meeting (EGM) but lost in his bid to restore his deputy presidency by a slim majority.

However, the Registrar of Societies on Tuesday said that Dr Chua was still the deputy president because the MCA constitution stated that it needs at least two-thirds of the delegates present at the EGM to drop him from his elected post.