Saturday, October 17, 2009

Whose party Is MCA?

An old friend sent me an SMS in Chinese on the MCA quandary saying, “People like you and me can only embrace each other and cry”. I can understand his feelings as he was active in MCA during the 70’s. It was also a leadership crisis which caused him to quit politics.

The history of MCA has more pages written about leadership battles than representing the Chinese in national development. Since the days of Tan Cheng Lock, disagreement with Lim Chong Eu caused the latter to set up Party Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) with other intervening events in between.

Tan Siew Sin, Minister of Finance from 1959 -1974, expelled Dr Lim Keng Yaik in 1961. Lim became the president of Gerakan from 1980 to 2007. The events that followed saw Lee San Choon causing his charismatic deputy, Richard Ho, to be purportedly betrayed by his own political secretary. Then came the San Choon-Michael Chen tussle.

The conflict between Dr Neo Yee Pan and Tan Koon Swan was catastrophic. Neo expelled 14 party leaders including Dr Ling Liong Sik, Tan Koon Swan and Lee Kim Sai, and left behind memories of raking up ghosts membership in the party. The feud between Team A and Team B during Ling Liong Sik’s time is still fresh on everyone’s mind.

ong-ka-ting-3.jpgJust when the battle smoke appeared to be settling, and the changes in the party he talked about everyday appeared to be taking shape, Ong Ka Ting masterminded the March 2008 general election loss by arrogantly fielding freshies (one candidate joined MCA only months before the election) as candidates.

“He thought the community will vote for his candidate even if it was a dog” was a comment opining Ong’s utter disrespect for the Chinese community.

MCA was returned with only 15 parliamentary seats – the lowest since the 1969 general election. MCA won 13 parliamentary seats in 1969 – the lowest since Independence.

The current MCA debacle is the most shameful of all, as it was sparked off by a sex scandal. The central player in the sex DVD challenged the incumbent president as he wants to lead the party of one million members. He challenged the incumbent to a vote-of-no-confidence and Ong Tee Keat lost by 14 votes.

Now, the old gang of “former leaders” felt that this young hand, barely one year in office, has no ability to lead the party. So they want to come out to “salvage” the party.

When the EGM became unavoidable, there were doubts whether the central delegates would be voting for themselves or did they have the mandate of the divisions. Some felt that “there was too much vested interest in the delegates’ decision, that the community’s interest does not seem important.”

Of all the press headlines I have read since the October 10 EGM, the most meaningful one was, “MCA unlikely to rebuild in time for general elections”.

My personal feelings is that this should be the guiding light for Ong Tee Keat’s decision to stay and continue with the things he was first elected to do as president of the party.

By the provisions of the party constitution, the EGM was held. We cannot run away from reality. Yes, Tee Keat lost by 14 votes. Consider his position: helpless at the receiving end of his peers’ wrath resulting from Ong Ka Ting dropping 30% of the incumbents in the 2008 general election and faced with such events of unreason from a mad man who wants to run the affairs of the Chinese in the country with his pants down. Barely one year in office, is such an outcome a surprise?

Which, may I ask, of the past presidents of MCA dares to declare he can survive a vote-of-no-confidence in the very same EGM? Therefore, by the same provisions in the constitution which enabled the emergency meeting, the EGM did not remove Tee Keat from his position as president. The narrow margin of defeat should not be played up by the media to crucify this victim of circumstances.

ong-tee-keat-9.jpgMintzberg (1998) classified political organizations as being characterised by conflict, spiked by ego and without an overall coordinating mechanism.

How much longer can the Chinese just embrace each other and cry? We need someone to whitewash these pages of conflict in the party’s history. This someone cannot be any of the “former leaders” for the simple reason that it was they who cultured (as in organizational culture) the current breed of central delegates. Their re-entry in the party administration will cause repeats of past failures. Further, they have not unlearned their pre-2008 arrogance nor relearned new societal norms, wishes, wants and needs of the young electorate of the next general election.

MCA needs to change and the leader must be forward-looking, someone contemporary, someone with sufficient experience in politics, someone with vision for transformation of the party to meet community demands.

Tee Keat, a mechanical engineer and a Chinese newspaper columnist, had been in active politics since 1986 when he became the political secretary of Lee Kim Sai. He has served four presidents before moving up the ranks to become president in 2008. While others fell, he was returned by the community in three consecutive general elections.

Tee Keat should continue to do what he was mandated to do.

Dr Daphne Loke
USA,
(via email)

24 comments:

  1. A very thought provoking title: "Whose party is MCA", very thought provoking indeed.

    IMHO, to unearth the answer, we have to go back to the root, and that is, what purpose MCA was set up for?

    Was MCA set up for making mega quick bucks?

    Was MCA set up for help worsen the corruption of this nation?

    Or...

    Was MCA set up to ensure the rights of the Chinese citizens in Malaysia be protected?

    Be true to oneself and choose your answer, then, proceed to do what is right.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I got this message when I tried to access OTK website

    Bandwidth Limit Exceeded
    The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.
    Apache/2.2.13 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.13 OpenSSL/0.9.8e-fips-rhel5 mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 Server at www.ongteekeat.net Port 80

    Looks as if there is lots of support from the Rakyat for OTK

    ReplyDelete
  3. OTK is the only one who has the integrity to expose the multi-billion dollar scandal, the multi-billion dollars of Rakyat's money !!!

    But of course, those stand to profit from Rakyat's money won't support him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anon 10:54pm

    Yeah you are right , bandwidth Limit Exceeded
    due to heavy traffic .
    Even his OTK fan club facebook couldn't be access in Australia , I suspect is heavy traffic , while we could do it here .

    ReplyDelete
  5. Armno Dog Catcher10/17/2009 11:07:00 PM

    The more those Armo guys like Lingam's partner in arms , the tan ku fella , the kerismuddin , MOHiddin hentam OTK , the more it will expose their link to PKFZ and the more it will make OTK popularity naik , among the Chinese and other races .

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think OTK website have been sabotaged!

    ReplyDelete
  7. There is this asshole alexbloodseeker provoking OTK supporter there. When the site is back go and get his blood.

    ReplyDelete
  8. All of you were just reinforcing each other view that OTK is, or is going to be a great leader. Yes, he is a great leader at buffing his way out. He promised repeated to quit if no confidence resolution is passed, he never did. He continue to ride on the so-called roadside and coffee shop people's support to stay on. Those unties and uncles know nothing about national affairs, nothing about serious politics, also nothing about leadership qualities, all they know is keep on talking among themselves endlessly. Just like what happens in this blog, keep on talking among a few diehard supporter cum bloggers, to promote a leader who bluff throu the mouth.

    Just because you people like him, he should not step down, he should not abide by party decision, or the delegates are selfish. Outside there, the coffee shop unties and uncles are more valueable people, they support OTK, therefore OTK has the right to cling on.

    If there is second person suffering from a defeat in any democratic voting, the same principles cannot be appplied. CSL have to get out but OTK no need, because of the stand taken by this blog. Who you think you are ? All leaders must be screened by this blog otherwise they are not qualified.

    ReplyDelete
  9. to 147, If this blog do screening,you think your comment can be posted so easily? try your luck in malaysianinsider,then you'll know what is freedom & transparency,THIS,so far is still the best blog! wondering if i'm wasting my time on stupid people who have no wisdom even to differenciate between good & evil(at lease coffee shop uncles & unties do). AND THE WORSE PART IS HE THOUGH HE KNOWS ALOT. go back to school and learn what is righteousness. shame on you...

    ReplyDelete
  10. AND, DONT FORGET YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER ARE ALSO uncle & untie..

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anon 1:47

    Those unties and uncles know nothing about national affairs, nothing about serious politics, also nothing about leadership qualities

    So all unties and uncles have no brain of their own ? can't think for themselves ? their opinion is not important while yours is ?
    Their opinion are equally important , cause MCA and candidates will still have to go back to them for their votes come GE . Your line of reasoning smacks of one track mind . blocking off others opinion .

    He promised repeated to quit if no confidence resolution is passed, he never did.

    A great leader will do what he says with responsibility . Calling for fresh polls is one way of resigning and leaving their fate to the CDs to re elect their new president and cc . In fact he doesn't need to as provided by the party constitution which says two thirds majority is required .

    Further a good leader will never pass on the leadership to a bunch of self vested leaders who are now seen to be infected by the UMNO virus .If they can sell off their president , what is there for them NOT to sell off the Chinese Community ?Imagine if this were to be in China .....where would be civil war by now .

    ReplyDelete
  12. Forgot to add , A fish needs water to survive . Politicians will have to go back to the Chinese community ( water here in this case ) for their votes and their survival . Never underestimate the kopi tiam talk , they will influence a lot of people and uncles and aunties they have their influence .

    ReplyDelete
  13. So we have one asshole here as well who question and discredit the elders wisdom. We Chinese survive thousand of year based on Confucius philosophy and one of them is to respect the elders. This is a Chinese culture as it is deem that the elders are wiser, and here we have this fellow insulting the elders which against our Chinese culture. He is willing to be a traitor to the Chinese cause in exchange for greed. We shall skin his skull.

    ReplyDelete
  14. dO NOT PRETEND YOU KNOW A LOT ON CHINESE CULTURE, CONFUCIUS AND SO ON. IF ANY OF YOU IS CAPABLE OF WRITING COMMENTS IN MANDARIN, PLEASE DROP A FEW LINES IN THIS BLOG. I WANT TO SEE HOW YOU ARGUE IN MANDARIN. I CAN FACE ANYBODY HERE USING MANDARIN. YOU TALK SO MUCH, DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO TYPING IN MANDARIN? WRITE SOMETHING IN MANDARIN. LOOK AT THE WAY YOU ARGUE, NONE OF YOU CAN WRITE ANYTHING READABLE IN MANDARIN.

    DO NOT TALK LIKE YOU ALL KNOW A LOT. YOU ARE THE BANANA PEOPLE, YELLOW SKIN WHITE FLESH, NO ROOTS OF YOUR OWN. YOU PRETEND TO TEACH OTHER WHAT TO DO ? ARE YOU A PROPER CHINESE WHO CAN ARTICULATE IN MANDARIN ? ARE YOU OR ARE YOU NOT ?

    ReplyDelete
  15. 你们会写华语吗?Do you know chinese for translation. Try drop a few lines and see who is a more complete chinese. When banana people talk, do not pretend you know a lot.

    DO NOT LOOK DOWN UPON OTHERS. MAY BE YOU ARE SEEKING HELP FROM SOMEWHERE TO WRITE IN MANDARIN BUT HOW MANY TIMES YOU CAN DO THAT ?

    香蕉人不要以为自己了不起?Pls ask you chinese fren what does this mean

    ReplyDelete
  16. THE MOMENT YOU ARE ASKED TO WRITE IN MANDARIN, YOU NO LONGER FIT TO PARTICIPATE ON YOUR OWN. WHY BECAUSE YOU ARE BANANA PEOPLE PRETENDING TO BE MORE CHINESE THAN THE COMMON CHINESE. TO UNDERSTAND MCA POLITICS, YOU GOT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH CHINESE MEDIA, ENGLISH MEDIA HAS PROPERLY REPORTED LESS THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL WRITE IN CHINESE MEDIA. YOU INFO IS ONLY 20%, AND YOU ALL TALK LIKE EXPERTS, YOU DON'T FEEL SHY ? BE HUMBLE, B4 THIS THE WORD HUMBLE DOES NOT APPEARE IN YOUR MIND, BUT NOT TO LATE TO UNDERSTAND IT BY NOW

    ReplyDelete
  17. What the point of knowing a lot even the basic you already can't follow. Worst still you claim you know better your root, so you root is good at insulting the elders. you sell that to your children, don't come here and bullshit...

    ReplyDelete
  18. 香蕉人不要以为自己了不起香蕉香蕉人不要以为自己了不起,人不要以为自己了不起,,香蕉人不要以为自己了不起,

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anon 2:02

    Please post in English . We are here to comment on the above article , not start a war here on whether you can post better comment in Chinese

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sounds like an Arm No dog likes to leak others' bananas from the Chinese posting?! If I translated that correctly.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The irony is, the only banana is LLS and son, and they are working for arm no !

    The rest of us all know Chinese, we know how to read, write and speak Chinese with no problem.

    ReplyDelete
  22. 我愿意接受你的挑战~!

    让我们心平气和的谈!

    既然众多在这里的人不明白华语!

    那我们不必要避嫌,单刀直入,直入话题!

    我是中立派,我不偏向任何人。

    可是他们所说,未必不对!

    我同意他们过于盲目支持,也过于神化翁诗杰。

    可是,我宁愿相信翁诗杰胜于任何人!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Our support for OTK is not blind support, dear Sushi, our support for OTK is with EYE OPENED !

    We support OTK because we have SEEN how he has worked for the Chinese people.

    We support OTK because he NEVER betray the trust from the Chinese people.

    Unlike, you, Sushi, aka, FGZ !

    You have betrayed the Chinese, by backstabbing OTK !

    I am posting in English here because I want ALL to see what kind of slime you are. Sure, I can post in Chinese, but if I did that, a lot of other people wouldn't get the REAL CHANCE of knowing you !

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh well, if you claim you're not blind then fair enough=)

    Good! very good! Keep up the spirit!

    I never once said OTK betray the chinese. You can claim whatever section I am from.

    My conscience is true. I support OTK. But i raise doubts to clarify my supports! If you think you are a know all, clarify it with us.

    Not accuse and simply claiming justice with your own hands and words.

    You said i've betrayed the chinese? Haha!
    Let's us see then=)

    To win an argument, at the very least you learn how to be a gentlemen first. even if enemies, throw you with vulgar words, that does not mean you reply it with one.

    Revenge is not the solution.

    If u ever find out who am i? It will be fun!
    looking forward to meet u in person SOON!

    ReplyDelete

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