n a dramatic vote at today’s MCA extraordinary general meeting, party delegates dealt a blow to both feuding leaders – party chief Ong Tee Keat and his suspended deputy, Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Ong lost the vote of no-confidence against him while suspended Chua was reinstated as a party member but not as the deputy president.
The 2,304 party delegates effectively ended Ong’s presidency – eight days short of a year since he took over as party chief – by passing a motion of no confidence against his leadership with a tissue-thin majority of 14 votes.
The margin was so close that a recount was ordered.
The delegates also voted to reinstate Chua as a full party member with a majority of 109 votes, but at the same time voted against bringing him back as party deputy president with a smaller majority.
The unprecedented results mean that the shadowy Third Force has prevailed in getting rid of both leaders.
The Third Force, which is not aligned to the two factions, has ostentiously paved the way for new leaders to take over the party.
“In the event that both are voted out, two members of the central committee would be appointed to replace them while their positions (in the CC) will be filled by ordinary party members,” said MCA secretary-general Wong Foon Meng.
According to Wong, who is aligned to Ong, based on today’s EGM results, Chua is now an ordinary member and no longer deputy president.
As for whether Ong should step down, Wong said that the CC would make a decision on the matter.
When pressed on whether Ong is still party president, he said: “It will be decided by the CC.”
It was later announced that the CC will meet on Oct 15.
Meanwhile, Ong supporters argued that there was no need for their leader to quit as a two-third majority is needed to remove the party president under the MCA constitution.
The results of the three resolutions are:
1) Motion of no confidence against Ong
For: 1,155
Against: 1,141
Spoilt votes: 8
Majority: 14
2) To annul the party’s decision to expel/suspend Chua
For: 1,204
Against: 1,095
Spoilt votes:5
Majority: 109
3) To reinstate Chua as MCA deputy president
Against: 1,184
For: 1,110
Spoilt votes: 10
Majority: 74
Will Ong quit as MCA chief?
Ong and a number of the CC leaders entered vote-counting hall just before the results were announced.
The delegates, and supporters of both factions who had packed the San Choon Hall in the party’s headquarters in Wisma MCA since 2 pm, erupted into cheers and boos soon after hearing the result.
After the announcement, Ong went up to the 9th floor of the building where he held a press conference.
Flanked by his key supporters including vice-president Liow Tiong Lai, Ong appeared a little disappointed but calm.
Asked whether he was shocked by the results, he said: “I’m still what I’m, did you see any expression of shock?”
“From Day One since we determined to resolve party crisis through the EGM, this is it, and we accept the decision.”
As if hinting that the battle may not be over, Ong added the matter of the EGM vote still needs to be brought up for discussion in the central committee and presidential council.
Meanwhile, Chua is believed to be in a nearby hotel. His supporters are demanding new party elections to resolve the crisis.
In a brief two-sentence press statement issued 90 minutes later, he thanked the party delegates for their support in reinstating him as MCA member.
“I accept the decisions made by all central delegates and I hope that the MCA central leadership will respect decisions made by the central delegates in the MCA EGM.”
He is apparently suggesting that Ong should step down as party president after losing the motion of no confidence against him.
No need for two-third majority to ‘boot me out’
Ong has previously vowed to resign should he fail to get the backing from the delegates.
“The first resolution, the vote of no confidence, we know that a simple majority once carried, I will be left with no choice but to bow out and step down,” he told the Star in a Sept 19 interview.
“Anyone who argues that I do not need to do so, that only a two-third majority is required to boot me out, I think that is a great lie.,”
Ong also argued that the 22-member presidential council (PC), which include top ministers, should quit as well.
“If he (Chua) were to be reinstated by a simple majority, this tantamounts to casting a vote of no confidence against the entire PC.
“If this were to happen, then by democratic principle, the whole lot would have to go, the entire PC, as it was a collective decision and not a one-man decision.”
Deja vu for MCA
This is not the first time that MCA is facing a leadership crisis.
In 2002, the party was also involved in a leadership tussle between its then president, Ling Liong Sik, and his deputy, Lim Ah Lek, over the purchase of Nanyang Press Holding Berhad.
The crisis caused both leaders to step down and they were replaced by Ong Ka Ting as president and Chan Kong Choy as the deputy.
Today’s EGM decisions may open another front in the proxy war between the Ong and Chua camps as they may now start to line up their allies and supporters to fill the void.
MK
11/10/09
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