MCA headed for fierce split as sex tape scandal resurfaces

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA is set to go into a tailspin again as its deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was recently issued a notice to appear before the party disciplinary board over his 2007 sex DVD scandal.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Dr Chua was issued a notice to appear before the disciplinary board on Aug 4 to answer charges of bringing disrepute to the party more than 1½ years after DVDs were circulated of a sexual tryst he had with his mistress.

In late 2007, the DVDs, which were believed to be of secret recordings by unknown parties of Dr Chua and his partner engaged in sexual acts, were circulated in the MCA man’s home state of Johor.

By early 2008, Dr Chua admitted to being the man in the DVD and resigned as the health minister and party vice-president after accusing political rivals in MCA of being behind the recordings.

Now, he is being hauled up again on the same charges.

The Malaysian Insider has learned that the MCA disciplinary board’s notice to Dr Chua has been brought to the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman.

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, who is barely on speaking terms with his deputy, is understood to have told the BN chairman that he has no knowledge of the notice.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Najib had hit the roof when he found out about the decision to dredge up the sex scandal.

“The PM felt that this was hardly the time to do something like this,” a source familiar with what happened told The Malaysian Insider.

While there is no evidence to show Ong is behind the decision to haul up Dr Chua, the party president’s claims of having no knowledge of what his disciplinary board had decided to do was believed to have been greeted with some incredulity by Najib and other Umno leaders.

By hauling up Dr Chua again, the party disciplinary committee appears to be setting the stage for an all-out war between the top two MCA leaders.

Rumblings in the party suggest the MCA is heading for a split not seen since the days when it was split into the Team A-Team B battle between former president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and deputy president Datuk Lim Ah Lek.

Dr Chua had already been hauled up once before the disciplinary board, this was soon after he had resigned all his party and government posts last year.

Then, the disciplinary board chairman Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy recommended that no action be taken against Dr Chua as the latter had resigned all his party and government posts and taken responsibility for the scandal.

The latest move, believed to be backed by supporters of Ong, is likely to set in motion a bitter fight.

Supporters of Dr Chua are now likely to go ahead with a plan to call for an extraordinary general meeting to possibly remove Ong as party president.

MI
16/07/09

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