Immediately after the 55th MCA General Assembly last month, Umno MPs objected noisily in Parliament when I referred to the new “kangkong” MCA leadership, complaining that I was too quick-on-the draw in deriding and running down the newly-elected MCA national leaders at the just-concluded MCA party elections with Datuk Ong Tee Kiat as the new MCA President and Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek as the new MCA Deputy President.
This was of course not the case, as the term “kangkong” MCA leadership was first coined, which is completely value-neutral, was coined from inside the MCA – a play of the surnames of the new MCA President and Deputy President, which taken together, sounds like the Chinese term for “kangkong”. (“Ong” and “Chua”)
These Umno MPs were not really stout and reliable defenders of MCA dignity and reputation for they were actually the ones frequently guilty of the uncomradely act of bullying MPs and Ministers from the other Barisan Nasional parties, as illustrated by the recent attacks on the Gerakan Wanita chief and Deputy Information Minister, Datuk Tan Lian Hoe – but the mentality of being “bully victims” had become so ingrained and entrenched in the thinking of MCA, Gerakan, MIC MPs and those from other BN component parties that nobody in BN dared to speak up tro defend Lian Hoe from these attacks except for DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs!
Although the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, denied at the recent MCA General Assembly that UMNO is a “bully party” to MCA and other BN component parties, nobody in MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the Sabah and Sarawak component parties really buy his denial.
The country is facing an unprecedented multiple crisis of confidence whether political, economic, educational, nation-building, good governance or key national institutions whether judiciary, the police, the Attorney-General, the anti-Corruption Agency but nobody seems to be minding the national business of governing the country even when the country is faced with the worst world economic crisis in 80 years as a result of the global financial meltdown.
This is because the leaders of Umno, the hegemon and bully in Barisan Nasional, are too pre-occupied about the first high-level party elections in 20 years to have much time for the mundane but necessary and important tasks of good governance.
MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the other BN component parties have become so marginalised that even with UMNO leaders completely obsessed and side-tracked by their own party elections, which will last another four months, it is just unthinkable that the non-UMNO Ministers and leaders could fill the void in policy-making and day-to-day governance caused by the most proctracted and dirtiest Umno party elections in history!
Things have not been helped when the other BN component parties themselves are pre-occupied with their own internal power struggle or survival.
I do not want to comment on the going-ons in the BN component parties but it cannot escape public notice that there is “melamine contamination” in the new “kangkong” menu of the new MCA leadership.
Recently, melamine contamination of milk, foodstuff, drinks, chocolates and petfood which claimed innocent lives created a nation-wide and international scare and scandal about food safety.
But even in “political foodstuffs”, there can also be melamine contamination as evident from the MCA “kangkang:” leadership and menu.
In the MIC, there is what has been described as “the battle of the has-beens” with former MIC vice-president Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan announcing that he would challenge MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu for the party’s top post,
In the Gerakan, there is neither a sense of direction nor leadership.
As a result, the country will continue to be like a rudderless ship until Umno ends its party election convulsions fuelled by the worst corruption and money politics in Umno history.
(Speech 2 at the Tawau DAP Thousand-People “Towards A New Era” Dinner on Saturday, 15th November 2008)
The MCA commited harakiri the day they decided to elect Chua Soi Lek…..
There is only one way for Gerakan’s Tan Lian Hoe to persuade umno to stop bullying her, and that is to serve nasi kangkang to them
Kangkong should be fried with belacan to make a delicious dish. This way, it at least serves one purpose – filling up people’s stomach.
Even component parties in Sabah and Sarawak have realized that their future as well as that of the electorate they represent is very BLEAK being in the BN.
Some of their veteran MPs have come out in the open to disassociate themselves from the BN. The Sarawakians have upped the ante by asking the sick authoritarian white head CM to resign immediately.
What about the melamine poisoned MCA, GERAKAN, MIC and PPP in Peninsular Malaysia? They have forgotten their vociferous noise about their support to review/abolish the dreaded ISA. They do not even dare to openly support their fellow MP from the Gerakan when the UMNOputras brandish their hegemony by bullying Tan Lian Hoe.
These imbeciles do not seem to realize that the rakyat are watching all their moves. Their days of being driven to political wilderness or even oblivion are getting closer and closer. These worthless leaders will become history in the 13 GE. They will be booted out without any mercy.
Kangkong prepared ala kangkang and served with spicy belacan won’t make any difference to these castrated mutts.
The MCA No. 1 and No. 2 are at sixes and sevens. The MIC is fighting a leadership battle. The PPP has a weak leadership. T
The MCA No. 1 and No. 2 are at sixes and sevens.
The MIC is having a leadership tussle of the have-beens.
The PPP has a weak leader at its helm.
The Gerakan is no better without direction and purpose.
With all these problems eating into the parties, where do they have the strength and guts to fight big brother UMNO and they obviously continue to be bullied. Playing safe is the best option. Why invite trouble? It’s better to shut up!
Oops……. Sorry! First two lines cancelled. It’s the printer’s devil!
Tan lian hoe can redeem herself by just resign from her Grik parlimentry seat and let have by election otherwise she just play politic and not because of principal .
The issue here is relevance.
If the relevance of something is being questioned, something is amiss.
People who offer themselves to be leaders of the community must remember that they are there to serve the community who supported and voted them in. If that basic and fundamental objective is not complied with, the leaders can go and others who could do the proper job should take over. Else it would be a case of breach of trust and commitment.
An elected leader cannot and must must hold himself as being untouchable and above-board. As if he is beyond reproach and wielding unlimited powers. He must carry out his work with integrity, accountability, honesty, sincerity and impartiality. He must be guided by sense and sensibility at all times.
A true leader, under all circumstances, must adopt a truly democratic and consensual approach on all matters. It is through such collaborative, collective and consultative approach that the leadership could be effective and be seen to be answerable to the electorate.
A position of power is not a position of self-glorification. It is not a prize nor a gift. It is a responsibility and a calling.
Unless a leader possesses and displays such qualities, he should not be there in the first place.
SIDELINED?
UMNO change and lead? Analyze Rais Yatim, our national face to foreigners, latest statements shamelessly defending the lies on Malay so called ‘rights’ and ISA. Just because he is going for VP of UMNO, the man who has to face the foreigners everyday in his job is shamelessly drumming the beat of hypocrisy and inconsistencies.
All BN component parties leader will point out to their troops is that well, UMNO lie to their people, so we can lie to ours….
Contamination? its more like genetically modified (GM) out of controlled to the point of perversion, incestous.
Hei fellas you think umnoputras eat kangkong whether with or without belacan? Common. 45 ringgit for breakfast and 100 ringgit for lunch. Thats their kind of lifestyle. Nothing less than air-flown australian asparagus and live lobsters and fresh abalone. Its only the rest of us non-umnoputras who had to make do with kangkongs. Then again, they used up a lot of brain power when doing work. So they do need nutrition and good food. Deny them somemore and our universities will be swimming in the league of 400 hundred-somethings. So its best that we shut up.
The recent developments concerning the BN component parties bode well for PR. The political infighting within UMNO, MCA and MIC will open up whole new cans of worms – corruption, cronyism, abuse of power – for all to see.
Let’s consign them to oblivion. As for the MCA, they have become irrelevant, and we should just sit back and watch the dictatorial pronouncements of Ong Tee Keat vs the “I am the victim” pronouncements of Chua Soi Lek.
I think it makes more sense if our bloggers can make some positive contributions to the five State Gomen of PR which appear to be rummaging since taking power. We all realize that Umno will contonue to try to re-invent the wheel with one objective in mind: to continue the recipe used over the last 30 years.
The State Gomen of the most developed States can surely plan and execute some projects more useful than currently seen. Whipping a dead horse after so many months does not seem and will not bring any positive change. To those most boisterous at this forum, please offer some concrete opinions that are useful to our YB and his colleagues. To all intent and purpose, the State Gomen of PR has not done much to convince the general public of their purpose. Admittedly, the damages caused by BN cannot be overhauled over-night; but time is running and fast running out.
The reality of the composition of the nation cannot be changed just because we are are vociferous in our opinions through this medium. The change in the mind-set of the majority of the population is vital and of course this is not easy and cannot be done overnight.
Change must come to divert out path from ZIMBABWE but with all these rhetorics which at times cause emotional reactions can be divisive to the national interests. So let us not throw all these rhetorics without giving it a second thought; otherwise all this exercise of trying to create a more tolerant Malaysian Society will come to naught!!
What actions MCA/MIC and Gerakan response when their buddy Tan Lian Ho who mentioned that the malays are also “pendatang” got bullied by those racialistic, greedy and apportunistics Umnoputras?? NOTHING!!! They dare not speak out at all. They are so so afraid that their Umnoputras masters will not only whack them properly BUT also not feed them.
Real shameful and disgrace to the other minority communities.
They are goners and should close shop before they let the rakyat further down the drain.
That “rice” bum should be whacked properly too. He is now trying to get votes for his VP campaign. Again another apportunistic bum showing his true colours by playing the race card again and again. That “rice” bum should be fried with kangkong and plenty of belacan. Guarantee will be a popular dish for the rakyat. Real thick face and stupid bum.
They are all the same, in the past and. The same culture and attitude pervade that political party.
They are just the same bunch of black crows, what can they reform?
They can forget about the next election for now. These current crops of so called ‘leaders’ of MCA is obvious worse than the previous. The evidence is so glaring clear.
raven77 Says:
The MCA commited harakiri the day they decided to elect Chua Soi Lek…..
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Agreed. However, I might add that Chua Soi Lek being elected is a reflection of the character of MCA voters. How can any decent Chinese look at and respect this fella as a leader without thinking of his porno movie? And it’s not the porno movie I’m appalled at but that he was enjoying himself for more than 10 years behind his wife’s back.
I must say Chua Soi Lek is probably the most thick skinned fella to ever walk this earth.
I never expect the MCA people to re-elect an ex Minister of Health who practises extra-marital sex and who has actually publicly admitted doing so, as its Vice Chairman! Is he going to form a sub-committee within MCA called the “Cheat your wife S/C”?