Saturday November 21, 2009
Fresh election mooted
By NG SI HOOI
KUALA LUMPUR: Holding a fresh election for the MCA was one of the issues discussed when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak held separate meetings with the two rival groups in the party.
Najib met MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek on recent developments which saw the Youth and Wanita chiefs not being re-appointed to the party’s presidential council.
The Barisan Nasional chairman then met a group comprising MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong and Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun at another venue.
Najib expressed deep concern over the current situation in the second largest Barisan Nasional component party.
Sources said the meetings with Najib were held in a conducive environment and the leaders expressed their opinions as well as conveyed feedback from grassroots members.
The MCA made news following the presidential council reshuffle, which for the first time in party history saw the chiefs of the Youth and Wanita wings not being re-appointed as council members.
The development drew reaction from leaders of Chinese guilds and associations including the Federation of Chinese Associa- tions of Malaysia, the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia and the Malaysian Seven Major Clans Association.
But Ong has since said the leaders of the two wings could still sit in as invited members of the council and air their views.
He added that it was incorrect to say the two had been snubbed or excluded.
Ong said the party’s greater unity plan needed to be implemented swiftly and he needed a team that was 100% behind the effort to bring back party unity in time for the next general election.
Sources said the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Nov 28, planned by those said to be aligned to Liow, might be called off.
Instead, a fresh election for the central committee might be held by the end of the year.
“Based on the current situation, it seems like the party is heading toward a fresh election. However, it depends on the party leadership,” said the sources.
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