MCA Deputy President's Expulsion Likely To Trigger A Battle Royal in the Party
By: Eileen Ng
The MCA is being buffeted by strong waves.
And like the 2004 Boxing Day tidal wave that hit the region and was felt as far away as Sri Langka, this political tsunami - triggered by the sacking of deputy president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek - will have repercussions not only within the party, but in Barisan Nasional as well.
Already the decision to expel Dr Chua, a popular grassroots leader who made a political comeback in last year's party polls after he resigned from all posts at the height of his DVD sex scandal, has caused unhappiness among MCA members who feel the move is too harsh.
They had expected that he would be suspended for three years in a worst case scenario.
What can MCA and BN expect from this episode?
>> Expect the party to be split. Already the pro-Dr Chua and pro-Ong factions are lining up for a bruising fight with talk that several grassroots leaders will mount campaigns againts Ong.
Not to be outdone, Ong's supporters will be having nationwide roadshows and campaigns to defend the president and the party leadership.
>> Expect an extraordinary general meeting to be called. A campaign is under way to obtain the signatures of 800 central delegates to remove Ong and reinstate Dr Chua.
Dr Chua himself confirmed that he will endorse an EGM only if it is to save the party from sliding into oblivion.
It is said that Dr Chua has been meeting the party's central delegates in the country over the past few weeks to prepare for the EGM.
>> Expect Umno and other BN component parties to follow the development closely. Although publicly the BN leaders have said that it is an internal party matter, privately there is great concern among them that the infighting might further affect the coalition's standing and support in the eyes of the public.
>> Expect Pakatan Rakyat to capitalise on the strife in the MCA by stressing that the Chinese voters are better off with them than with a mono-ethnic party that is so busy with infighting that it has no time to serve them.
>> More importantly, expect the Chinese community, already cool towards the BN, to stay even further away from the MCA and the coalition.
Political analyst Ong Kian Meng predicts that the MCA and Umno could lose six more seats in the next general election if Chinese support continues to wane.
Can the political crisis in MCA be overcome? Will Dr Chua be able to make another comeback?
What are his next moves? The next few weeks might hold some answers.
Source: New Straits Times, August 28, 2009
See also: Malaysian Scandals Blog
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