The usual festive mood of MCA annual general meetings was conspicuously absent yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

No breakfast crowd to tread past in the forecourt of Wisma MCA, no din in the foyer of Dewan San Choon to strain the ear in conversation.There was ample room for everyone present to swing their elbows and get noticed.

The large hall that could accommodate all of MCA’s 2,400 delegates had only some 700 in their seats yesterday.

Proceedings began without the usual officiation by Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak, for he, his deputy, leaders of other BN component parties and MCA’s own elders and past presidents were not there.

Cutting a lonely figure on the stage, embattled Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat delivered his maiden presidential speech since taking the helm of the party in 2008, presenting his report card of sorts, and profusely apologising for the shortcomings in his party reform efforts.

Most significantly, Ong hinted that he would roll up his sleeves and fight for his political survival however arduous the task.

“I will step down as party president because of fresh polls but not because that I am expired. If I care only about my post, I would not have stirred so many hornet’s nests,” he said, earning a three-minute standing ovation from the 603 delegates present.

The battle lines in MCA are clearly drawn.

Ong, along with deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and vice- president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, will battle it out for the party’s top posts at the polls scheduled for March 28.

Going by the number of delegates at the AGM yesterday, Ong has some 600 core supporters from a pool of 2,400 central delegates to count upon.

Liow’s faction, which called for an EGM on Nov 28 last year, is believed to have marginally larger backers at about 650.

Of the three, Chua has the biggest support since he managed to present about 900 signatures of central delegates to requisition an EGM in October last ear. Talk had it that Chua actually collected some 1,200 signatures but presented only 900.

Judging by the numbers, the odds are stacked against Ong.

“If in the past, he had Liow’s faction to depend on to deliver the votes, he is on his own now. He must now campaign even harder and must appeal to the few fence-sitters. The lone ranger is truly alone,” said a party insider.

“Don’t discount the Ong brothers. There is talk that Ong Ka Chuan will join in the fray,” said a delegate from Kedah.

Ka Chuan is said to have the support of those who are loyal to his brother, former president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, and 10 divisions in Perak.

Another party source said no alignments between rival factions were visible at present. “Negotiations are ongoing. Things will be clearer as we get nearer to the nomination date,” she added.

It is known that while Liow and Chua’s factions have found a common ground in wanting to trigger fresh polls, there is still a lack of trust between them.

“Whether they can work this out remains to be seen. Chua also does not trust Liow because of his alleged role in the snoop squad which allegedly resulted in a video that led to Chua’s downfall in early 2008,” the source said, adding that the game was wide open at the moment.

While the players get on with their negotiations, the heavy responsibility lies with the 2,400 central delegates.

They must vote in a team for a one-year term that is able to bring stability to the party and can regain the respect and support of the Chinese community who have long deserted the party.


This article appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, March 8, 2010.