KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat sacked four central committee members (CC) ahead of the committee's meeting this afternoon.

Datuk Chor Chee Heung, along with Datuk Chai Kim Seng, national organising secretary Yoo Wei Hou, and Gan Hong Su were given the boot at 10.30am today. The three who have been appointed to replace the four are Chua Tee Yong, Datuk Donald Lim and Tan Chin Meng. Senator Heng Sea Kei has been made the party information chief taking over from Lee Wei Kiat.

It is also learned that the registrar of societies (ROS) has served a notice to the MCA headquarters, which confirmed Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as the rightful deputy president.

At a press conference, Chor did not deny that Ong took such drastic act in order to secure his position as president, adding that it was an act of revenge.

“He has to resort to all kinds of methods to safeguard his position as the president by hook or by crook.

“It is a strategy that no other president would have done. I feel it is revenge against most of us in the central committee. He could not sack the elected ones,” said Chor, who was the spokesperson for the four.

Chor, who is also the deputy finance minister, said he had much to lose, but had to act for the sake of the party. He added that the four who had been sacked are very vocal in their opinion.

He also said that with their sacking, Ong is making a mockery of the party’s greater unity plan that Ong conceived.

“He talks about unity and he gets rid of people who do not agree with his views,” said Chor, adding that the quartet had been Ong’s supporters even before the party election last year.

Chor added that Ong is known for his "lone ranger" traits in acting unilaterally without consultation with the CC.

“We accept that he can appoint and dismiss. But for the well-being of the party, the party has to have a strong group of leaders and all must act in concert with unity.

“The best way to resolve the problem is through a fresh election. Whoever wins must be given the mandate to lead," he said.

Asked on why they opposed Ong’s proposal for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to seek fresh polls, Chor said that they didn’t want to trouble the delegates and wanted to settle the issue amicably within the CC.

However, Chor said that Ong threw so many obstacles in their way without considering the opinion of CC members.

Chor said that they would not appeal against their sacking and affirmed that the requisition to have an EGM, which was given to the party headquarters on Oct 29, would not be jeopardised. Although the four signed the requisition, he said, they were still legitimate CC members at that juncture.