Star: Heads must rule, not hearts

Can the MCA delegates put the party’s interest above their own at the coming extraordinary general meeting on Oct 10?

MCA delegates will face a tough choice on Oct 10. President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has made it clear – it is either him or Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The stakes are even higher than a presidential election where it is not uncommon for both victor and loser to patch up and pledge to work together in the interest of the party. Whatever the outcome, the party must brace itself for a major adjustment and possibly a prolonged crisis.

There has been an interesting twist of events when the party’s central committee (CC) reversed the decision of the disciplinary committee and the presidential council to sack the party stalwart who was caught having sex with an unknown woman in a DVD.

The CC has chosen to suspend him for four years with immediate effect.

Reactions to the surprise decision have been mixed. Some political observers opined that it was a smart tactical move to neutralise the middle ground that might be sympathetic to the sacked deputy president.

Suspension is more common and acceptable to the party neutrals. A few senior Barisan Nasional leaders have been suspended in the past for committing various offences.

A number of observers argued that the suspension was not a reprieve for Dr Chua but to correct the repercussions against the president over his sacking. A suspension will be able to assuage accusations that Ong had wanted to remove a rival.

Dr Chua’s supporters argued that the suspension was as good as sacking him. At 62, it might not be easy for him to make a political comeback after four years. Dr Chua would have preferred to use the EGM to overturn the decision to sack him.

“Are they trying to say the CC is more supreme than the EGM?” he asked.

Dr Chua’s motive was not just to “die an MCA member” but to be given a shot at the leadership or to bring the president down along with him.

Ong had pledged to step down if Dr Chua’s dismissal was overturned at the EGM.

Ambition derailed

Dr Chua was bitter about the sex video which had curtailed his unstoppable desire to ascend to the top. If not for Datuk Seri Chua Jui Meng, he would have challenged Ong for the top post. The former’s decision to challenge Ong had widened the rift between the two Chuas.

I mentioned in my earlier article that Dr Chua’s sex scandal was tragic. Like other top politicians, it is not wrong to have ambition. Dr Chua should be aware of the risk involved in his extramarital relationship and the repercussions of being caught in the act.

He has complained that he was being punished twice. But it is necessary to ask if he was ever punished by his party.

Dr Chua’s resignation from his ministerial and party positions was done voluntarily. How can the party criticise other sexual offenders and immoral acts if its own leaders go unpunished?

While the party delegates would need to decide if he had contributed to the party or was a burden to reform efforts, they have to bear in mind the public’s frustration over leaders who were embroiled in scandals.

Can Dr Chua continue in his job as the Barisan chief coordinator to recapture the opposition states without his own personal scandals becoming a burden to the coalition? His presence at several recent by-elections did very little to convince the Chinese voters.

The party should realise that the Malaysian voters are looking for the emergence of fresh, responsible and credible candidates and politicians. If Dr Chua is really keen to contribute to his party, there are other better ways to do it.

One possibility would be to retreat to the background and use his experience to train new leaders including his own son, who is already a member of parliament.

At a crossroads

The EGM would be a good indication of the party’s seriousness in wanting to reform. If the delegates are unable to put the party’s interest above personal issues, it will mark the end of the party.

Ironically, Dr Chua’s suspension should not have been the deciding factor for the party’s survival.

Malaysian politics is at a crossroads. The MCA is also at a crossroads. The moral capital of a leader should not even be debated. A good moral character should have been the pre­requisite for those who aspire to hold public offices. The MCA’s survival is in its ability to reform and meet the high standards of its electorates.

Hence, the president’s request for support to tackle the biggest financial scandal in the history of Malaysia has to be taken seriously.

The party needs to be accountable to the people regarding the failure of its former ministers and appointed officers of the Port Klang Authority and the Port Klang Free Zone.

The creation of a new super task force should not diminish the role of the Transport Minister in his efforts to continue probing and taking appropriate actions against those culprits.

Being part of a ruling coalition, the party can only win back the support of the voters if it can play an effective role in the Government in ensuring good governance.

The voters are not really paying that much attention to personal disputes. Ong was criticised for being arrogant, aloof and brash. Many people are more interested in his promise to investigate the PKFZ financial fiasco thoroughly.

It is in the interest of the Barisan and MCA leaders to fully support his endeavours. Just like the V.K. Lingam saga, the PKFZ scandal may just be the trigger of another political tsunami in the next general election.

MCA delegates must vote with their heads and not their heart in deciding the fate of these two leaders.