By Lee Wei Lian
Dr Chua claims the central committee decision to reverse his sacking would undermine the upcoming EGM. — file pic
KUALA LUMPUR, September 20 — For some, a decision to commute a sacking to a suspension will come as a relief. But for former MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, yesterday’s move by the MCA central committee to overturn a presidential council decision to expel him and instead suspend him for four years is far from welcome.
Some have already seen it as an attempt to assuage party delegates hoping to punish Ong at an upcoming EGM for the way Dr Chua was booted out.
Sources close to Datuk Alex Wong Siong Hwee, who proposed at yesterday’s meeting that the disciplinary action against Dr Chua be lightened, say he did so after getting feedback from the grassroots that they felt Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat was being too harsh by expelling Dr Chua.
One pro-Ong delegate who spoke on condition of anonymity thinks the move will not affect the 30 per cent or so of “hardcore” supporters which each side commands, but could have a bearing on the fence-sitters.
“Dr Chua had said he wanted to die an MCA man so now he got his wish. His supporters are worried that they will lose sympathy,” she said.
Dr Chua, however, has dismissed such views and claims MCA delegates will be even more unhappy as they will feel that the EGM has been undermined and the severity of the suspension will in effect prevent him from holding any post till after the next party elections.
“The suspension will make the delegates more angry,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
“It is not like a six month suspension. The four year suspension will prevent me from standing in the next party elections. And the timing is all wrong. The notices for the EGM have been sent out and the date has been fixed. If they had wanted to review, they should have done it before the EGM was announced.”
Ong, who spoke on behalf of the central committee last night, said it was standard procedure to review any presidential council decision even though Dr Chua decided not to appeal the disciplinary action.
Dr Chua’s supporters had, in a reaction to his sacking on August 26, initiated an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to be held on October 10 where several proposed resolutions will be put before the MCA’s general assembly, the party’s highest decision making body, including whether to reinstate Dr Chua and whether to remove Ong as president.
One of the proposed resolutions also annuls any decision made by the central committee to suspend Dr Chua.
Ong yesterday confirmed that the EGM agenda remained “intact” and was not affected by the central committee review.
Dr Chua had 14 days to appeal his sacking and the deadline expired on September 16, the same day the EGM date was announced.
Hard-core supporters from both sides are now well entrenched in their positions.
Fence sitters, however, will have from now until a dinner thrown by MCA the night before the EGM to make up their minds how they are going to vote.-MalaysianInsider
