Wednesday, July 23, 2003

MCA suspends Jackie Chan

BY FOONG PEK YEE

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA suspended its Penang member Ong King Ee effective yesterday pending police investigations into his alleged triad activities.

Party president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the presidential council, meeting at the party headquarters, decided on the suspension.

“The council invoked Article 45.24 of the party constitution to suspend King Ee pending police investigation,” Ka Ting told a press conference after chairing the three-hour meeting.

Police are looking for King Ee, 37, also nicknamed Jackie Chan, and another person identified as Chee Kok Loong, 26, over several incidents.

Warrants of arrest against the two were issued by the Penang police last Wednesday. King Ee is the chairman of the Gurney Drive branch under the Bukit Bendera division.

VITAL DOCUMENTS: Ka Ting (right) and MCA deputy president Datuk Chan Kong Choy showing the party constitution and membership application forms after the council meeting at Wisma MCA on Tuesday.

In a two-page press statement yesterday, the council reaffirmed its full support for Ka Ting in his handling of the issue.

The council noted that there were already adequate safeguards and provisions under Article 14 of the MCA constitution and also the Societies Act 1966, to ensure that people who violated the law were not admitted into the party.

For those who were already members, the statement noted that their membership status would be adequately dealt with under the party constitution.

Under Article 14, a person’s membership shall automatically cease if:

·He is a person disqualified in any way to hold office as an office-bearer or to participate in any political party under the provision of the Societies Act 1966; or

· He is a person whose name is registered under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (revised 1983) of the States of Malaya or under similar legislation in other States of Malaysia: or

· He is a person in respect of whom an order has been made under sub-section (4) of Section 66 of the Societies Act 1966 or under similar legislation in other States of Malaysia; or

l He is an ex-member whose membership has ceased through expulsion or resignation and has not obtained the prior written approval of the MCA central committee.

The council said it also directed the party headquarters to study into the adequate implementation of such provisions.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung urged all those who were “so concerned” over King Ee’s case to leave it to the police to investigate.

He reiterated that King Ee was wanted by the police for being allegedly involved in illegal activities and not as an MCA member.

Chor stressed that a person who had a record did not mean that he would be a criminal forever.

“If a person has turned over a new leaf and wanted to start afresh, there is nothing wrong for an organisation to accept him in good faith,” he added.

Chor said there were over a million MCA members and there was no way of knowing who was currently involved in illegal activities, adding that it was unfair to blame the leadership or party for accepting people who might be involved in illegal activities.

In another development, Ka Ting said the council has approved the setting up of 25 more MCA divisions nationwide in line with the re-delineation exercise which created 25 new Parliamentary constituencies.

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