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Categories
| Update Never allow party to split, Mahathir tells MCA |
| Politics & Government 2009 | |||
| Written by Chua Sue-Ann, Chan Kok Leong & Lam Jian Wyn | |||
| Thursday, 15 October 2009 14:21 | |||
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KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad today told MCA that the party cannot allow itself to be divided, while dropping subtle hints that embattled MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat should step down. "Whatever you (MCA) do, never allow your party to be split into two," Mahathir told a press conference, when asked to comment on MCA's spiralling leadership crisis on the sidelines of Umno's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) here today. Mahathir said the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties were "in shambles", concurring that the component parties' internal issues had weakened the ruling coalition and "somewhat tarnished" BN's image. "We need a strong MCA. People need to realise that if people don't want them, they must be ready to step down. "The culture of stepping down (from positions of power) has not yet developed in this country. Everyone wants to stay on forever. After 30 years they still want to stay there," Mahathir said, without naming names but likely alluding to 11-term MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu. Samy has been president of the Indian party since 1979. Speculations still abound over Ong's position as MCA president after the party's central delegates slapped their chief with a vote of no-confidence during the party's EGM last Saturday. MCA will hold a central committee meeting this afternoon to discuss the results of its EGM last Saturday, which saw delegates voting to reinstate Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as a member without returning him to his number two postion in the party. Mahathir added that when a party's top post was being challenged, the victor still stood to lose half the party despite winning the battle. "Even if 100 people leave, it's very bad already," he said. The former Umno president drew parallels with his experience of being challenged for Umno's top job in 1987 by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who led the party's Team B faction against Mahathir, resulting in a split within the party. Mahathir also left the press conference roaring with laughter when asked to comment on Ong's absence from the opening of Umno's EGM today. "Maybe he (Ong) has a problem. How would we know? Maybe he has stomach ache," he quipped. MCA secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng was present in Ong's place alongside other BN leaders, including Samy and Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon. When asked, Mahathir said Umno and the Malays, despite being the majority race, cannot rule this country alone because it was a multi-racial nation. The 84-year-old political figure then quickly fired a shot at the Opposition, which he said had shown themselves to be "totally incapable of governing the country". "People also dislike the Opposition but maybe by default they can still win," he said, while trying to stifle a laugh. Asked to deliver a Deepavali message to the Indian community, Mahathir quipped, "Well, Happy Deepavali" and urged Indians to stay united. "Happy Deepavali and please try to remember that although the Indian community is small, they still have a role to play. "If you divide small things into smaller things, then you become ineffective," he said, noting that there were now six different Indian-based parties competing for Indian votes. Before leaving the press conference, Mahathir jokingly warned the large pack of reporters: "Thank you very much, now don't trudge around me". The former premier was referring to an earlier scuffle that broke out between reporters and officers of voluntary corps Rela when the press mobbed Mahathir for comments.
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