Kuala Lumpur: MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and his deputy Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy will not be defending their party posts at MCA's forthcoming party elections on Oct 18.
"I have decided not to seek re-election to defend the party president's post.
It is a decision that I have thought about thoroughly after seeking the views of fellow party member for the past three months.
"It is not a hurried decision but one that I have deliberated at great length after much consultations," he said in a statement issued here Saturday.
Ong said it had been his political approach that a leader should not hold on to one's position for to long and this decision Saturday was a natural progression to what he had always advocated.
"When I took over the party's leadership in May 2003 one of my immediate actions was to amend MCA's constitution to limit a party president's term to only nine years. For Ministers, state executive councillors and local municipal councillors, their tenure limited to two general election terms," he said.
Ong further said that he had always emphasised the need for a healthy political culture in the MCA and this included the need to groom leaders as part of the party's renewal and rejuvenation process.
"The MCA also believes in the need to ensure a smooth succession plan.
Over the past six years, many young and talented MCA leaders have emerged and certainly, these party leaders must be given the opportunity to serve the country, community and party in a more effective way," he said.
Ong, who is also the former Housing and Local Government minister and currently Member of Parliament for Kulai, said the results of the March 8 General Election saw Malaysians, including the Chinese community, sending a strong message to the party.
"Certainly, the results showed the need for all of us to reflect and rethink what has taken place. The elections saw only 15 MCA Members of Parliament being elected.
"As party president, I must take responsibility for the results. As a matter of principle, I took the decision not to re-nominate myself for a Cabinet position," said Ong.
Ong also said over the last few months, he had listened and talked to party members across the nation and prepared them by indicating that no leader was indispensable and the importance of team work instead of over-relying on a personality.
"Together with my deputy, Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, we were joined by our line-up of Ministers, Deputy Ministers and other party leaders. We have spoken with one voice as a team during the road show," he said.
Ong said he would continue to serve the people and the party and will support his party colleagues in the renewal process and stressed that it was important that MCA leaders should not cling on to power.
"The party belongs to the party members. Certainly, it does not belong to any individual.
"Finally, I wish to extend my appreciation to all MCA leaders and members who have gone through thick and thin with me, especially during the general election and post-March 8 period," he said.
Meanwhile, Chan, who is currently overseas, when contacted, said he also had the same intention not to seek re-election and would make an official announcement on the matter soon.
"I have been going around the country and telling party members that I would most likely not seek re-election. However, I am waiting for the right time to make the proper announcement," he said.
With this latest development, several party leaders such as Vice-President and Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat, party Secretary-General and Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Ong Ka Chuan as well as Youth Chief and Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai are likely to be the frontrunners to contest the top two posts in October.
There is also the possibility of two former vice-presidents, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and Datuk Chua Jui Meng, joining the fray.
Bernama
30/06/08
1 comment:
There is a difference between UMNO and Barisan Nasional. I want to make it clear that it is not the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, but the UMNO government. It is not the government, but UMNO. Barisan Nasional is a coalition of unequals, not equals. UMNO is the big brother in BN. Therefore UMNO must be held responsible; and more importantly, UMNO must not be allowed to hide behind the BN banner. UMNO is the enemy, not BN. UMNO is a racist party which has perfected the art of divide and rule. If moderate Malays, the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Chinese and Indians unite, then they can vote UMNO out of office.
I have come to the conclusion that the easy solution is to completely defeat UMNO in the next elections. We have to vote racist UMNO out of office. UMNO is bent on divide and rule, which has affect Malaysia badly. It is for the next generation of Malaysians to undo the damage done to Malaysia by UMNO. There is a dire need for moderate Malays at the political level. There is also a need for the natives of Sabah and Sarawak to form a third force to protect their own interests. Imagine how UMNO had dealt with Sabah; from a rich state, Sabah has been reduced to a poor state subservient to UMNO. There has to be an explanation. The only way is UMNO has to be voted out of office. The younger generation of Malaysians do not like racist politics and UMNO must be taught a lesson by the younger generation by voting UMNO out of office. Please vote for any party but UMNO/BN.
To my Sabah and Sarawak brothers and sisters I tell you that historically UMNO has always avoided a Royal Commission of Inquiry as much as possible many times. Historically, UMNO has misused the Internal Security Act numerous times. Any political party that is an accomplice to UMNO is also the enemy. Any political party that is a co-conspirator to UMNO is also the enemy. To my Sabah and Sarawak brothers and sisters I say that you should form a third force. A third force would require unity among Sabahans and Sarawakians.
We have to get into the habit of putting people in office through votes, and removing people from office through votes. Nobody should be allowed to topple the government. We have to institutionalize the multi-party political system, one person one vote, and an independent judiciary.
In the 2004 elections (11th General Election), the voters gave good support to Mr.Abdullah Badawi. But reforms did not come. Why? Probably because UMNO had done well in the elections. If UMNO had done well in the elections, then the election results tell UMNO that the voters are satisfied with the status quo. If the voters are satisfied with UMNO, then no reforms are necessary. In the 2008 elections (12th General Elections), UMNO did not do well, but she managed to win. UMNO did lose the 2/3 majority in the Parliament, but she did win, nevertheless. Will UMNO undertake reforms now? I would not be surprised if she did not. Why should she? UMNO is still the winner in the elections; and she can plan to rise and may even succeed to rise again. So, as long as she wins, she will never undertake the reforms. So, how do the voters get the reforms that they need? The voters will get the reforms when UMNO is completely defeated in the 13th General Elections. If UMNO wins zero seats in the next elections (13th General Elections), then some other party would have to rule Malaysia. Let us call it Party B. If UMNO is completely defeated in the next elections (13th General Elections), then Party B would rule Malaysia. Would Party B undertake reforms? If Party B does not undertake reforms, then voters would know what to do.
There is no doubt that UMNO has used gerrymandering to strengthen herself. If we removed gerrymandering from UMNO, then there would be a reduced UMNO. So the non-UMNO voters of Malaysia have good reasons to vote against UMNO.
It is possible that UMNO has used the Police Force to strengthen herself. The Police Force is required to be neutral. But is the Police Force neutral? I appeal to the Police Force to be neutral.
UMNO is a race based political party and also the big brother of BN. So, the complete defeat of UMNO in the next elections is the only way to get reforms. The complete defeat of UMNO in the next elections is the only way to get a new beginning.
UMNO is inclined to believe that Malaysians cannot do anything if they are in any way dissatisfied. The voters, however, have to send a strong message to UMNO that the voters can do something: the voters can vote.
So, the next step for Malaysians is to completely defeat UMNO/BN in the next elections.
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The below is a copy and paste from http://hsudarren.wordpress.com/
A third force
There is no smoke without fire. Rumours have been abound since MArch 8 that Sabahan parties may quit BN and join the opposition. As with most rumours in Malaysia, this has turned out to be not just speculation with the announcement of SAPP that it would move a vote of no confidence against Prime MInister AAB.
In the light of this announcement, BN would have no choice but to kick SAPP out of BN. Out of the 14 component parties, there would be 13 left.
There are also rumours that more than 10 others MPs would quit BN, either with their parties or individually. Will these turn out to be true also? After SAPP, I would not discount anything.
But politically, this group of more than 10 MPs (10 to 18 as rpeorted in Chinese Malaysiakini) would be more effective to help the people of Sabah, if they can remain as independents , without joining Pakatan.
Unless of course, they think for their own self interest, and that by joining Pakatan and bringing down BN governemnt, they would be rewarded with Ministerial positions and so on… And that would mean the politics of patronage, which we voters have been trying so hard to get rid of, may still be with us even with a change of government.
If this group can remain as independents, then they will hold the trump card, and can in fact force BN in general and UMNO in particular to change. They could demand for better govenrnace; they could ask the government to accelerate the setting up of judicial commission, the formation of which is facing some resistance as some in UMNO would not want this to happen; they could also ask for an completely independent Anti Corruption COmmission.
In a nutshell, these people could play leverage to get BN to return to the people.
By staying out of Pakatan, they could still help form a new government if UMNO does not change and if Pakatan can get enough MPs to leave BN. Once Pakatan forms a minority government, the leverage to get Pakatan deliver what it has promised will be much greater if this group stays out of Pakatan. If Pakatan does not deliver, this group can again exert its independence and vote Pakatan out , too.
When there is a 2 party system with almost equal strength, a small third independent force will be much more effective if it remains outside both the big brothers. That is what I hope will happen and this is what I have advocating.
Dr Hsu’s Forum
The above is a copy and paste from http://hsudarren.wordpress.com/
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