MCA caught in a bind over no govt post resolution

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Jun 25, 2013

MCA’s dilemma… between Tee Siew Keong (left) and Ng Yen Yen, one is favoured by Chua Soi Lek while the other is not, say political observers.

(fz.com) – MCA is caught in a trap of its own making over the “no government post” resolution as it has become a major bone of contention among party leaders, say political observers.

The resolution not to accept government posts if the party fared badly in the 13th general election was approved at MCA’s 2011 and 2012 AGMs, with the aim of pushing the party to perform better than in the 2008 polls, and possibly to also discourage sabotage at the polls by supporters of rival party leaders.

But after the party fared even worse than in 2008, MCA leaders had to give up government posts, such as headmen and local councillors, to abide by the resolution.

Former party organising secretary Datuk Tee Siew Keong, however, decided to accept the post of Johor state executive councillor, resulting in him being suspended from the party for three years.

But the party has so far not taken action against some other leaders who had assumed government posts.

This includes Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen (who has been appointed Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board chairperson), Wong Nai Chee (a political secretary of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak) and Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting (who remains as the prime minister’s special envoy to China).

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has defended Ng’s appointment, saying the post was not recommended by the party and therefore she has not breached the party resolution.

Political observer Tang Ah Chai said that this justification is not convincing.

He pointed out that Tee too had not received a recommendation from the party, and that he took up the exco post because the Johor Sultan wanted a Chinese representative in the state executive council.

“Chua had announced (that the resolution affects) all government posts including minister, deputy minister, down to village headman. He did not say there is any exception,” Tang told fz.com in a phone interview.

Tang said this shows that MCA had not deliberated on the matter in detail before proposing the resolution at the AGM.

“When there is no clear guideline, the possible situation would be someone will try to challenge the resolution (by taking up a government post).

When there are too many exceptions, the resolution will no longer have meaning,” he said adding that the party will not be able to uphold its integrity because of this.

Tang, who has observed MCA politics since the 1980s, also pointed out that the party’s top leadership did not inform the party grassroots what they should do if the resolution was implemented.

Many members are confused about the implementation of the resolution and over MCA’s role if its leaders do not take up government positions, Tang said.

“MCA had entrapped itself. It is stuck in its self-inflicted dilemma, a trouble it created for itself,” Tang said.