Thursday May 9, 2013

GE13: More MCA divisions close service centres

Shut down: Service centre staff of former MCA Mentakab assemblyman Datuk Chuah Boon Seong looking on as the signboard is taken down in Temerloh.

KAMPAR: More MCA divisions have announced the closing of their service centres.

Daniel Wa, who used to work as a personal assistant to former Kampar MP Datuk Lee Chee Leong, said the centre would stop operating following the resignation of about 40 local MCA leaders. They included village chiefs, Kampar district councillors and a new village development officer.

“Kampar MCA has heeded MCA's call that members relinquish all governmental posts should the party fail to improve its performance in the general election,” he said yesterday.

In Gopeng, its division chief Albert Chang announced the resignations of 40 local MCA leaders.

“They have already tendered their resignation letters to the governmental departments and agencies they were attached to,” he said.

He said the service centre would be closed pending further instructions from the MCA leadership.

It was reported yesterday that divisions in Batu Gajah, Taiping and Lumut have closed their service centres and the leaders relinquished their governmental posts.

In Temerloh, a sombre mood prevailed in Jalan Zabidin as former Mentakab assemblyman Datuk Chuah Boon Seong held a symbolic ceremony to take down the signboard of his service centre.

Since he was no longer the assemblyman, he said it was time to close down the centre.

”I would like to take a break from active politics for now and decide on my political career in due course.”

He said the centre had been his base for two terms to serve voters since he won the seat in 2004.

In the just-concluded polls, Chuah lost the seat to Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji of DAP.

Chuah, who is the Temerloh division chief, said that since he was not re-elected, he had no means to continue operating the service centre.

In Ipoh, Perak Umno secretary Datuk Khushairi Abdul Talib said the defeat of MCA and Gerakan candidates could prove a challenge for the new state government.

Without their representation, he said it was difficult to form a multi-cultural state executive council.

Although Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon won the Chenderiang state seat, the MCA's stand in not accepting any government posts had made it difficult for the state government to elect leaders from the community, he said.

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