The plot thickens in MCA leadership drama

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Oct 2, 2013

(fz.com) – Money is what was left of the MCA after the party suffered a disastrous defeat in the May 5 general election. Many would say, therefore the fight for party posts is a fight for the party assets.

The landscape within the MCA did not undergo a sea change after the division elections concluded on Sept 22, as the party president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek continues to have tight control over about 70 per cent of the party’s division chairmen.

However, there are small ripples that saw some new and young faces elected as central delegates. This category of central delegates may not belong to Chua’s vote bank.

Currently, there are various forces in the party, which may not belong to deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai’s camp but are anti-Chua, and they could get together to go against Chua.

Soon after the division elections, many division chairmen had openly stated their support for Chua to defend his presidency. There were 19 divisions out of 26 in Johor and 16 divisions out of 22 in Selangor and 21 divisions out of 24 in Perak which had called press conferences last week urging Chua to continue to lead the party.

This move struck many as déjà vu as the same plot has been playing out in almost every MCA party election, where leaders will openly state their support for a particular leader to go for the top post. This act is important at this juncture as Chua has not openly stated his wish to defend his post.

Although Chua had said that he will step down, as of now word circulating in the party is that he would defend his presidency.

A rough tally of Chua’s support in the party after the division elections shows that he enjoys strong support in Johor, Selangor and Perak.

It is estimated that there are more than 2,700 central delegates that will cast their votes in the coming central committee election.

Going by the number of delegates at the 2010 party election, the three states form the biggest portion of the 1,136 central delegates. Citing a party source, Oriental Daily News reported that Chua controls about 70 per cent of these votes.

However, a few leaders who talked to fz.com had pointed out that control over the division chairmen does not equal to control over the central delegates. In some of the divisions, the president’s man can only control half of the delegates or slightly more.

The latest requisition for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) by Chua’s camp to vote on a resolution to censure Liow for creating disunity in the party confirmed this view.

The requisition came as a surprise, but the resolution is unusual because of the lack of consequences accompanying it. If the resolution is passed, Liow will not have to face any consequences such as disciplinary action, but rather the moral judgment of the delegates.

One can read the action as a “motion of no confidence” against Liow if it is passed in the EGM, and Liow may then feel pressured to quit the race.

However, it is more than that.