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 Press Digest by Kong See Hoh
PETALING JAYA (Nov 12, 2009): THE prime minister has apparently quashed all rumours of impending reshuffle of MCA's line-up in the cabinet.
Nanyang Siang Pau said in a report today it got wind that Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has indicated that there will not be any change involving MCA ministers and deputy ministers in the immediate future.
The Chinese press has been speculating that MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat will recommend a reshuffle of the party's line-up in the cabinet, and one or more leaders who are in his bad book risk losing their jobs.
Nanyang's report, quoting a close aide of deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, said Ong has agreed that the status quo be kept in the interest of party unity.
The aide said apart from heeding the prime minister's advice, Ong also agreed that any recommendation to remove vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai's men from the line-up at present will make the infighting worse, and the party risks getting dumped by the Chinese community.
He said Ong has intended to replace two deputy ministers aligned to Liow but changed his mind for the greater good of the party.
On the dialogue session to be held with divisional leaders at Wisma MCA on Sunday, the aide said Chua, who heads the greater unity plan taskforce, will explain in depth about the plan and appeal to the central delegates not to attend the Nov 28 extraordinary general meeting (EGM) requisitioned by 16 central committee (CC) members.
"We hold fast to our view that the EGM does not conform to the party constitution.
"As for the unity plan, we will leave it to the delegates to endorse it at the Dec 5 annual general assembly," said Chua's aide.
Meanwhile, a party member close to Liow is confident that Ong will not drop Liow's men from the cabinet line-up for now.
"It is understood that representatives from Liow's camp have met the prime minister and have been given an assurance (that no one will be dropped)," he said.
>> Poor response expected for EGM2
SOME MCA central delegates, who are disappointed that their decision to keep deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek out of office at the Oct 10 extraordinary general meeting (EGM) was superseded by the Registrar of Societies (ROC) decision on the matter, do not have high hopes for the coming EGM2 requisitioned by 16 members of the central committee.
An MCA watcher believed that such sentiment would result in poor response to EGM2, Nanyang Siang Pau reported today.
On top of that, many central delegates are taking a wait-and-see attitude now that Chua has closed ranks with party chief Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and the two have come up with the greater unity plan.
They will likely stay away from the EGM2 to avoid being labelled as vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai's supporters.
A grassroots leader told the daily some central delegates have little regard for the coming EGM, saying the ROC "has replaced" the central delegates as the highest authority in the party.
"We really don't understand. Under which article of the party constitution can the ROC meddle in the party affairs? Even a resolution passed at the EGM was not recognised!"
The MCA watcher said apart from Pahang, which Liow has firm control, Liow's camp can hardly count on a large turn-out for the EGM2 from other states, mainly because he lacks solid support.
Giving the recent EGM briefing in Selangor by Liow's faction as example, he said although all division chiefs from the state and the federal territory were invited, only two division chiefs turned up.
He said apart from Pahang, Liow has strong support in Terengganu but the state has few central delegates.
Another grassroots leader said some central delegates are giving the unity plan a chance. This will put the staying power of Liow's faction to test.
"A section of the central delegates are waiting to dip their fingers into MCA's 'political pie' and are unlikely to dance to Liow's tune.
Liow would be lucky if he can get 800 votes."
The grassroots leader, who hails from the federal territory, felt that as Liow's faction is a splinter of Ong's camp, it is unlikely to get a lot of sympathy votes or moral support from delegates.
He said MCA's big pie includes assets such as Huaren Holdings Sdn Bhd, Huaren Management Holdings Bhd, Wisma MCA, KTAR campus and Star Publications (M) Bhd.
He quipped: "At present, some central delegates are waiting for their goodies and morals have to take a backseat."
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Circular No 231/2010: 2nd Asia Pacific Regional Forum Conference
