Down Memory Lane

FATHER OF TRIADISM IN MCA
29 Jul 2003 2:47am

Amid the tribute paid to Dr. Ling Liong Sik by MCA following his involuntary abdication of the party presidency, little did the public know that the former party president was to be blamed for opening the floodgate to allow the infiltration of triads into the party.

Prior to Ling’s tenure, triad elements did exist in the party but flexed no political muscle as to influence the party’s destiny. In other words, they merely existed as individuals and were not being brought into the party systematically on large scale as it is today.

Now that the party is embroiled in the scandal of triad infiltration with the new president Ong Ka Ting implicated. The focus of public attention seems to have centred on the notorious triad king-pin Ong King Ee, nicknamed Jackie Chan only as he is now on the nationwide police alert for arrest. But there are those who had made their way into the rank and file of the party at the behest of certain party leaders with the intention of wresting control of the party delegate-ship at various levels which would ultimately determine the future leadership of MCA.

Following the influx of triads into the party in recent years, intimidation among party members has been on the rise alarmingly. The youth fracas in the Youth Annual Assembly on 3-8-01 has drawn much publicity glare as it was deemed unprecedented in the party history. By and large, people might have realized that the fracas was premeditated but not by the youth chief Ong Tee Keat and the Assembly speaker (ie: the presiding officer of the Assembly) as were alleged by the veteran committee commissioned by Dr. Ling. But little were they aware that the premeditation of the fracas had in fact been reported to him as the then president by Hang Chin Peng, the present vice chairman of MCA National Youth and Loh Seng Kok, the political secretary to Dr.Ling. The latter was said to have given tacit approval by keeping silent over the fracas premeditation.

On the induction of Ong King Ee (nicknamed “ Jackie Chan” ) into the party, the leadership though may argue that it is near impossible for them to have knowledge of all members’ background, the fact remains that both Ling and his successor Ong Ka Ting had prior knowledge of his involvement and connection in the underworld even after the triad kingpin was released from the Simpang Renggam detention camp.

Not only was King Ee inducted into MCA with their full blessing, the former was also allowed to form a new branch under his own stewardship with full liberty to recruit triad members into the branch. Of all those branches purportedly infiltrated by triads at the behest of Ling and his cronies, notably Ka Ting, Wan Thor Boey and Gurney Drive MCA branches deserve a full scrutiny of their members.

Behind the semblance of innocence put up by Ling and his cronies, they were quick to justify to the top BN leadership their induction of triads into MCA by saying that the existence of triad elements in ethnic Chinese partisan politics has long been unavoidable. To them, by wooing the triads into the fold of MCA is to deprive the opposition parties, notably DAP, of the triads’ support. They could easily cite Penang as a classic example in the 1999 general election in which the swing of support of the triads was said to have contributed enormously to the success of MCA and BN in certain DAP stronghold..

This would explain why the triad kingpin was seen to have been milling around Ling and Ka Ting in the by-election campaign of Indera Kayangan in early 2002. MCA, having been represented in the Home Ministry by a deputy minister, has had no moral ground to disclaim responsibility on the matter. On the other hand, BN is likely to accept MCA’s justification out of political expediency.

Nevertheless, BN should not forget it is now playing with a double edged sword. Hardly three years ago (Aug 2000), the same group of triads, namely Sio Sam Ong (Three Little Emperors) were also deployed by the partisan bosses in the Lunas by-election (state seat in Kedah), but with an entirely differing agenda. Instead of ensuring victory for BN through delivery of ethnic Chinese votes, the gang headed by King Ee (or better known as “Jackie Chan) was deployed to intimidate the ethnic Chinese voters to vote against BN, with the sole aim of embarrassing Chua Jui Meng who was then heading the Kedah MCA. The kingpin’s henchmen never attempted to hide the truth that the said move was directed by Dr. Ling through Ka Ting with the knowledge of Chor Chee Heung, the present Deputy Home Minister from Alor Setar, Kedah.

While Dr.Ling was honored as the “Father Of Development Of TAR College”, perhaps it would be more relevant to accord to him another unprecedented yet unrivalled title: “Father Of Triadism In MCA” which serves to commemorate his inaugural massive induction of triad members into the party.