“It’s not that I cannot accept [Chua]. A lot of party members cannot accept him — even my 13 CC members cannot accept him because that will further tarnish the party image.
“I’ve been talking so much about the party’s interest, so if I support Soi Lek to become the president, I will be the man who will be accused by the members of not caring about the party but about himself.
“I’ve told you I have no personal problem with anybody. I can work with him, but how do I face the members? Even now because Tee Keat is working with Soi Lek, people are scolding so much. Why go and bring him back when people are scolding him so much? And now, he’s deputy. If I’m supposed to work with him and he becomes president (laughs), I better resign.”
THEN MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai in an interview with theSun in February 2010. Liow, together with 12 other central committee members, submitted their undated resignation letters in December 2009 in the hopes of triggering fresh party elections following Chua’s reinstatement as deputy president. (Source: Party comes first, theSun, 18 Feb 2010)
“We will work together to unite the party.
“I can work with Dr Chua and I will play my role as deputy president to the best of my ability. From now on, let’s work together for the future of the party and ensure it is stable and united.”
“From the start, there has never been a ‘team’ or ‘camp’. We (Liow and Ong) only worked together as we shared the same ideology and views on how to unite the party, but there was no ‘camp’.”
Liow, after the MCA‘s 28 Mar 2010 party elections in which Chua was elected party president. Liow, who was elected deputy president, was reportedly aligned to former MCA president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, who lost to Chua by over 60 votes. (Source: It’s time to unite MCA and move on, says Liow, The Star, 29 Mar 2010)
“I do not want my personal decision to create turmoil in the party.”
“Many people have the wrong perception of me being against Dr Chua personally. This is really a matter of principles and values which I uphold.”
Wanita MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, answering questions from reporters on whether she would resign now that Chua has been elected MCA president. Chew had reportedly said in 2009 that she would resign if Chua became president.
Chew told reporters she “stood by what she had said”, but needed to answer to Wanita delegates as she was elected by them. She said she would have to consult Wanita MCA committee members before making any decision. (Source: Chew to consult committee before making quit decision, The Star, 29 Mar 2010)
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watchman says
It is a sad reflection on the leadership in MCA where a sexually-tainted person is elected as the president, because the other candidates are even worse. This is the end of MCA.
Andrew I says
The winner takes it all, the loser standing tall – Abba.
It’s called tweaking your position when tears and throwing a spanner in the works have proved futile.
Taking a fig leaf out of Italian politics?
Sean says
Poor old Ong Tee Keat. His days were numbered from the moment he suggested he was going to be honest about PKFZ. If the alleged death threat didn’t do the job, this’ll teach him. Some things cannot wan.
I don’t think of CSL as ‘sexually-tainted’. I don’t care who – or even what – he has sex with. It doesn’t even really matter what kind of sex he has, although I’d like the reaction of the law enforcement agencies to be a bit more consistent in their punishment of “carnal acts we say you shouldn’t enjoy”. Sex is immaterial to his job as a politician. What is material is his behaviour under contract. A marriage is a public contract and he clearly broke it without seeking to vary the terms with his wife first.
I would have thought Malaysians would be becoming more sensitised to public figures breaking their promises by now and could look away for a moment from the freak-show of public figures getting their illicit freaks on.
We shouldn’t care that he has sex, nor how or where he does it. A public figure breaking a promise to his wife is of obvious concern. It is immaterial that “she forgave him”. If one Perak voter should forgive Najib for his coup, should we all? And let’s not give much credence to the suggestion that “at least he was honest about it”. He was the star of a high-quality video – how was he going to pretend otherwise?! The time to be honest about it was with his wife before he did it, or at the very latest immediately after the first time he did (his “greatest mistake was to use the same hotel room” – remember?). That way, his wife could have told us that she knew what he was doing but the most important thing was that he continued to (otherwise) be a good husband and father. That would have made him look like an honest man who can’t resist some spicy chicken.
What do I know? I’ve just realised that I’m arguing that CSL’s wrongdoing is his dishonesty – that [it] was not necessarily wrong (the laptop on the bed was a bit weird though… maybe I’m just a bit anally retentive about the prospect of people ‘splashing’ mine – is a laptop considered a sex aid for couples in Malaysia?). And this after I said OTK’s problem was that he attempted to be honest. Maybe I’m confused and everyone else is right.
cjsavvy says
Classic examples of political doublespeak. These self serving people will say anything to keep their positions. It goes to show just how sincere they are.
Aileen says
“It is a sad reflection on the leadership in MCA where a sexually-tainted person is elected as the president, because the other candidates are even worse.” – Watchman
‘Sexually-tainted person’? Which era are you from again? IMHO, what Soi Lek does in his private life is Soi Lek’s private business. The important issue remains: is he capable of saving MCA?
Indiana says
MCA is like a man catching his last breath before he drowns in the depths of the ocean. It’s time to write an obituary.
Kong Kek Kuat says
Bwahwahahawah… I´m a-lovin every minute of this!
Reminds me of Dallas, but with less quality. I can´t wait for Kristin to appear.
Andrew: Hardly. Berlusconi and Il Popolo della Libertà (The People of Freedom Party or PDL) have never projected themselves as a patriarchal representative of any particular race. Sexist the PDL may be, but hypocritical and patriarchal it hardly is. And il PDL has never hidden its subtle sexism, fielding porn stars and etc. as candidates in campaigns.
But it is hardly winner-takes-all. What Chua has done is ruined the image of MCA. I can´t imagine his fellow Umno and etc. ever truly respecting him beneath the surface. And for that, I think MCA deserves it. You get what you choose.
Pratamad says
Chew Mei Fun is by far the worst in the lot. What she is doing is to renege on her words by hiding behind the “I was elected by Wanita delegates” excuse. How pathetic, a self-interested political animal of the worst kind.
Vak Isan says
The MCA delegates has accepted Chua’s apology. Chua’s experience is very much sought after. Liow has clearly showed his other side which is [greedy] for the sake of power & wealth.
Andrew I says
Did somebody mention porn star?
Where’s Chua Jui Meng? Didn’t he ask a pertinent question not too long ago?
boon hwa says
Whoever wins won’t change the general perception of the Chinese […]. Did she consult the committee before she threw the challenge to resign and why now [does she] want to consult? Unless she muka banyak tebal, she’ll say the committee forced her to stay. What a sandiwara!!!
kwchap says
I’ll not eat meat for a week if either of these [two-faced] snakes resign 🙂 Talk is cheap … I always wonder when the action will come!!!
Benjamin says
I think MCA is finished. Why not allow the youngsters to take over with new ideologies. Bring back the old folk with black records so that he can be used by someone to do something?
Chew Mei Fun […] has no principles at all.
HSMong says
I hope these two politicians namely can stick to what they have said. It’s a matter of principle otherwise they are not fit to be in public office to represent their constituents. They should not go back to their respective committee or constituency to get their ‘blessing’. They should uphold what they have [said].
D'evil says
So. Are these cheap politicians going to eat their words. Are they going to do what they said?
This debacle just shows what kind of people they are. Not one word from them can be trusted.
MCA Integrity Restoring Task Force (MIRT) says
MCA Integrity Restoring Task Force (MIRT)….we must restore integrity to MCA, so says Liow & Chew…
nut says
Hey, Datin Paduka Chew, you better resign if not people will criticise you, that you are not gentle enough. What you meant before the election you should fulfill, OK.
mycuntree says
It’s good that the recent turmoil in MCA has laid bare all the true opportunists, cowards, double-dealers, hypocrites and self-serving so-called leaders of the party.
The election aftermath further confirms who they are. With that it also further confirms the rot in the party and that the “value” that the party has is no more that of Chinese Malaysians.
What MCA represents is just the interest of its members, certainly not the interests of the Chinese Malaysians in general. So MCA should not ever claim to speak on behalf of all Chinese Malaysians, but just that of its members. Come to think of it, it is no different from MIC or Umno.
Kong Kek Kuat says
@Aileen
It’s not about which era one is from. It’s about the reality in Malaysia. We are still a conservative society, you know?
MCA claims that they are the high-moral and patriarchal representative of the majority of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia. This means that MCA must have the moral authority to govern/lead the ethnic Chinese [Malaysian] community in dealings with its peers such as Umno, and etc.
Chua Soi Lek is a clear-cut, caught-red-handed-in-a-sex-scandal case, and not some weak allegations of links to a murder-victim from a third-world country.
Even VK Lingam has quietly faded into the background. But not Chua Soi Lek.
How can Chua command any respect from his peers such as Umno, and etc.? The question that naturally follows is how can MCA stand up for what it claims to represent if MCA cannot command the respect of its peers?
[…]
Tan says
I personally do not think CSL is tainted. After all he is a victim of circumstances and they ain’t any complaints from their family members other than those having vested interested in politics. Besides, he is a capable leader.
CJ says
Chua Soi Lek,
You think you can cover up PKFZ?
Malaysian China Man says
Umno has to allocate seats for MCA in Malay [Malaysian] majority areas in the next GE or else MCA will be easy meat for PR.
Most Chinese [Malaysians] will vote against MCA with the exception of a few tycoons and their family members.