Posted on

Formation of Chinese Perkasa: A Dangerous Way to Win General Election

by Kee Thuan Chye
Malaysian Digest
11 July 2010 | Sunday

The call for the setting-up of a Chinese Perkasa to counter the Malay right-wing group’s racial attacks is one of the most outrageous things I’ve ever heard. Yet this is a call that comes from none other than Deputy Finance Minister Donald Lim Siang Chai, who is also an MCA vice-president.

How can a deputy minister suggest such a thing? Is he speaking as an individual or does he have the endorsement of the MCA – or, worse still, the Government?

That he is part of the ruling administration makes the call suspicious. It seems to corroborate what many have come to suspect – that Perkasa (Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia) is linked in an informal way to Barisan Nasional, that the NGO is actually doing the dirty work that BN cannot be seen to be doing, i.e. championing Malay rights and taking a hard line stance against perceived adversaries.

Chauvinism has been outsourced to Perkasa, observers say. In light of Lim’s statement, one might be persuaded to see a connection.

What is objectionable about Lim’s call is that it will reinforce what Umno itself has been drumming into the minds of the Malays – that the non-Malays, particularly the Chinese, are a threat to them, that the non-Malays want to take over the country. Continue reading “Formation of Chinese Perkasa: A Dangerous Way to Win General Election”

Posted on

Sports betting: Guan Eng wants MCA, MIC to apologise

FreeMalaysiaToday
Sat, 26 Jun 2010
By Hawkeye

GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is demanding an apology from MCA and MIC over the latter’s apparent move to roundly criticised him over Penang’s contentious decision to ban sports betting.

The retraction by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had liberated Pakatan Rakyat which had earlier condemned the move to legalise sports betting and took action when Penang and Selangor ban any gaming outlets from offering betting packages.

He said that he together with Pakatan became victims of baseless and wild accusations when Penang was the first state to ban sports betting.

With Najib’s decision, “it is only fair that the detractors such as MCA and MIC apologise to the Penang government including me”, Lim said. Continue reading “Sports betting: Guan Eng wants MCA, MIC to apologise”

Posted on

Chua still stuck in the past

By Stanley Koh
Free Malaysia Today

COMMENT Yesterday’s announcement of a Cabinet reshuffle tells us much about what went on in MCA President Dr Chua Soi Lek’s mind as he juggled with the names of party leaders to recommend for ministerial positions. The public can now judge whether he has been following the “philosophy of the humble ant” in leading the MCA, as he promised in his campaign for the presidency.

His political rivals are putting on a sober and subdued face while frantically sending out cryptic messages to their supporters, no doubt commenting on the Cabinet changes.

Has Chua been true to his election pledge to follow the doctrine of “no more yes men” and no more favouritism in party and government appointments? To put it another way, has he wisely picked credible and capable leaders?
Continue reading “Chua still stuck in the past”

Posted on

Tweets on Aminulrasyid killing, Subang airport closure and whether a non-Malay can be PM

@limkitsiang

Anger against police over Aminul’s death building up on Facebook http://bit.ly/b7apG9 5:09 PM May 3rd

1wk since police killing #Aminulrasyid Najib has spoken Y UmnoYouth @Khairykj MCAYouth still silent though @weekasiongmp support Hanif RCI 5:15 PM May 3rd

Full support 4Sgt Roslan fractured leg rammed by motor-cyclist @roadblock Police shd catch n mete out most severe punishment agnst culprit Have always supported police injured in course of duty But IGP irresponsible w fallacious equation n argument as if condemnation of trigger-happy killing #Aminulrasyid equivalent 2disregard 4legitimate rights of police 2proper welfare n compensation 4injuries or even lives lost suffered by policemen in course of duty RT @syafiqjosen: @limkitsiang I m in support of azamuddin but would appreciate if u would also stand by the police when they are victims. about 23 hours ago via UberTwitter

Powerless SpecialPanel into#Aminulrasyid’s police killing neither fish nor fowl even w/ TunHanif as member.. http://ow.ly/1GDA1 about 20 hours ago via HootSuite

Appears 2b d case Off stmts have conspicuously omitted dis pt RT @thamss: @limkitsiang The Brunei oil issue,we signed away our oil field? about 19 hours ago via UberTwitter
Continue reading “Tweets on Aminulrasyid killing, Subang airport closure and whether a non-Malay can be PM”

Posted on

Are Umno leaders to issue the “Get Out from BN!” order to MCA Ministers if MCA cannot recapture Chinese support?

The New Straits Times headline today ‘MCA must prove it can recapture Chinese support‘ has come as no surprise, considering the utterances and threats which have become the staple diet of some UMNO leaders who are suffering from a terminal denial syndrome refusing to admit that the biggest problem faced by Barisan Nasional post-March 8 political tsunami stem from Umno and not the other BN component parties.

In fact, what is surprising is that the warning had not been made by Perkasa, which seemed to have received the out-sourcing of such chores from Umno, but from none other than Umno Vice President Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein after the general assembly of 30 Umno branches in Cameron Highlands yesterday.

The question is: Are Umno leaders going to issue a “Get Out from BN” order to MCA Ministers if MCA cannot recapture Chinese support?

I myself was surprised to read of the admission by the MCA President Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek in the Star last Friday that MCA leaders accept that MCA only had 14% Chinese support in Hulu Selangor at the start of the recent by-election.
Continue reading “Are Umno leaders to issue the “Get Out from BN!” order to MCA Ministers if MCA cannot recapture Chinese support?”

Posted on

When and why has MCA fallen so low with Chinese voter support for Barisan Nasional in Hulu Selangor plunging to 15% with Umno Secretary-General Tengku Adnan estimating that BN only secured the support of 22% of Chinese voters in the by-election?

The immediate reaction of the MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek to the Barisan Nasional’s win but MCA’s loss in the Hulu Selangor by-election on Sunday was that it should be a wake-up call for MCA leaders that the Chinese community is no longer just concerned with basic needs but about also national issues.

He said that the MCA would also be more vocal from now on.

But this pledge of a wake-up call for the MCA leadership and to be “more vocal from now on” was broken in the next 24 hours, when the MCA leadership failed to speak up on the imperative need that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak must honour his by-election eve pledge to sign in the next 24 hours of a by-election victory a RM3 million allocation to the school board’s account for the new building of the 81-year-old SRJK© Rasa.

Monday yesterday had come and gone but there had been no honouring of the signing of the approval of the RM3 million for the SRJK © Rasa.
In fact, I had a twitter exchange with the MCA Deputy Education Minister and MCA Youth leader Datuk Wee Ka Siong yesterday, as follows:
Continue reading “When and why has MCA fallen so low with Chinese voter support for Barisan Nasional in Hulu Selangor plunging to 15% with Umno Secretary-General Tengku Adnan estimating that BN only secured the support of 22% of Chinese voters in the by-election?”

Posted on

The more than one million MCA members should openly vote against MCA and BN parliamentary and state assembly candidates in next general elections

The more than one million MCA members should openly vote against MCA and BN parliamentary and state assembly candidates in next general elections as they cannot hold their heads high, in pride and honour, as a result of the irresponsible politics of top MCA and Umno leaders.

Just two examples from the recent Parliamentary meeting suffice to demonstrate why the acts of omission and commission by MCA Ministers have made it impossible for the more than a million MCA members to stand tall among the people.

First, the tabling of the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill in Parliament on Monday to impose many arbitrary and oppressive measures, like the more than three-fold increase of compound fines for traffic offences from RM300 to RM1,000.

Because of public outrage at the oppressive amendments and the impending Hulu Selangor by-election on Sunday, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz quickly withdrew the Bill.

This creates a double first – first time a Bill was withdrawn in super-quick time of 48 hours, which shows that the Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat had been most irresponsible and negligent in not giving proper consideration and care in drafting the amendments.
Continue reading “The more than one million MCA members should openly vote against MCA and BN parliamentary and state assembly candidates in next general elections”

Posted on

Why MCA leadership dare not ask for Senate President to be filled by MCA for the rest of two years and four months after Wong Foon Meng’s mini-term of eight months so as to make a full term of three years?

The term of Datuk Wong Foon Meng as Senate President expires yesterday on the expiry of maximum of two terms totalling six years as Senator.

I understand that the new Senate President is going to be an Umno nominee, former MP for Kuala Pilah and currently President of Majlis Bekas Wakil Rakyat (Mubarak), Tan Sri Abu Zahar Datuk Nika Ujang.

As Wong’s predecessor, Tan Sri Dr. Hamid Pawanteh served two terms comprising six years as Senate President from July 2003 to July 2009, why the MCA leadership dare not ask for Senate President to be filled by MCA nominee for the rest of two years of four months after Wong Foon Meng’s mini-term of eight months so as to make a full term of three years?

This incidence showing the increasing irrelevance of MCA even in Barisan Nasional.

In the first place, why should the appointment of Senators and Senate President be parcelled out like “spoils of office” among the Barisan Nasional component parties, which is completely against both the letter and spirit of the Merdeka Constitution.
Continue reading “Why MCA leadership dare not ask for Senate President to be filled by MCA for the rest of two years and four months after Wong Foon Meng’s mini-term of eight months so as to make a full term of three years?”

Posted on

Soi Lek MCA president, Liow deputy president

Star Online

Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is the new MCA president.

The former MCA deputy president polled 901 votes. His nearest challenger was Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, who received 833 votes while incumbent party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat garnered 578 votes.

In the straight fight for the deputy presidency, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai won over Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha. Liow received 1,171 votes to Kong’s 1,106 votes. Continue reading “Soi Lek MCA president, Liow deputy president”

Posted on

Farce and fiasco of 24-hr resignation of Titi Tinggi Assemblyman exposes total breakdown of authority of MCA leadership

The farce and fiasco of the 24-hour resignation of the MCA Perlis Assemblyman for Titi Tinggi, Yip Sun Onn, exposes the total breakdown of authority of the MCA leadership.

There was none from anyone of the Three Kingdom camps of the MCA leadership who could reach and influence Yip, which had to be done by the Umno leaders, involving not only the Perlis Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr. Md Isa Sabu, the Perlis Speaker Datuk Yazid Mat but also the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

No wonder Yazid as the Speaker made the most eloquent remark last evening to the Malaysian Insider reporter “I am very tired. I think what I said is enough. The seat is not vacant” when refusing to further comment on Yip’s case apart from confirming that he had received an SMS from Yip informing him of his retraction.

Poor Yazid and the Perlis UMNO Mentri Besar, who appeared to bear the fullest brunt on the pressures arising from Yip’s letter of resignation – when it should be the MCA leaders but who appeared to be completely impotent in the matter.
Continue reading “Farce and fiasco of 24-hr resignation of Titi Tinggi Assemblyman exposes total breakdown of authority of MCA leadership”

Posted on

MCA ‘s three-ring circus rolls around

By Kee Thuan Chye

Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat just doesn’t know when to quit, does he? Despite his bravado in promising to step down before the mess hit the fan at the MCA’s extraordinary general meeting last Oct 10, he is still adamant that he will be an asset to a beleaguered party split apart by his high-handedness as president. He has declared — the first candidate to do so — that he will defend his position at the coming party elections on March 28.

This is the very man who promised to quit as president if the no-confidence vote against him at the EGM was passed by just one vote. It was actually passed by a margin of 14, with 1,155 delegates voting for it and 1,141 against. He should have kept his word, and done the honourable thing; instead, he chose to stay on.

That more than 600 members attended the party’s annual meeting on March 7 indicates that he enjoys their support, but that is only a quarter of the 2,379 delegates who will vote in two weeks. Besides, some of those 600 could have attended the AGM just to hedge their bets; there may be opportunists among them who will switch loyalties if another faction looks the surer winner. Furthermore, the political complexion has just changed, now that former president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting has also announced his candidacy.
Continue reading “MCA ‘s three-ring circus rolls around”

Posted on

Four MCA Ministers and seven deputy ministers should take collective official leave for next fortnight to concentrate on their party tussle in the run-up to the fresh MCA party elections on March 28

Yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak called for a solution to the MCA crisis so that the party can emerge as a credible force to represent the Chinese community and country.

MCA has become a pale shadow from the days of its founding fathers led by Tun Tan Cheng Lock more than half a century ago, when MCA could be said to be on an equal footing with Umno in the Alliance.

Today, MCA has been reduced to such a pathetic status that despite having four Ministers and seven Deputy Ministers, MCA does not even have the weight and leverage in the Barisan Nasional of an outsider and Johnny-come-lately organization like Perkasa and Ibrahim Ali!

When Umno proposed at the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting last month to scrap the rule of unanimity and to amend the BN constitution to allow direct membership of NGOs, individuals and other political parties, MCA leaders dare not even object although they know that their status in Barisan Nasional will be reduced to that of Ibrahim Ali or even lower, whether Perkasa is eventually admitted into the BN or not.

The “Three Kingdoms” battle in MCA has nothing to do with the rights. Interests and future whether of the Chinese community or the Malaysian nation but the political stakes of the different MCA factions.
Continue reading “Four MCA Ministers and seven deputy ministers should take collective official leave for next fortnight to concentrate on their party tussle in the run-up to the fresh MCA party elections on March 28”

Posted on

MCA’s harakiri and its repercussions on the Chinese

By Dr Lim Teck Ghee

MCA is an ineffective political force in part because it has long played only a marginal role in the previous Malaysia Plans — implemented by the Umno-aligned, Malay dominated civil service — that have shaped socio-economic development in the country.

The Malaysian public, especially the Chinese, must be wondering if MCA can ever get its house in order so that it can attend to the important affairs of state, especially the economy.

Besides the economy which affects the wellbeing of all households in one way or another, there are many other issues that should occupy the time and attention of the party.

Rising religious tensions; increasing intolerance of Islamic zealots; growth of rightwing Malay NGOs and extremism; lack of education opportunities for young Chinese and other Malaysians – the list is formidable. Many of these issues have implications not only for the Chinese but for the whole country.

The Najib administration’s New Economic Model (NEM) is being touted as the way forward. Do the MCA leaders know or even care what is in the model?
Continue reading “MCA’s harakiri and its repercussions on the Chinese”

Posted on

MCA dignity and humiliation plumbing new historic lows

Most pitiable and tragic to see MCA dignity and humiliation plumbing new historic lows in its 61-year history in the past 24 hours.

Whether the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will attend the 56th MCA Annual General Meeting scheduled for Sunday became the most strategic gambit in the MCA “Three Kingdom” power tussle when the Ong remnants in the rump MCA Central Committee after the resignation of two-thirds of its membership from the Chua and Liow factions insisted on proceeding with Sunday’s MCA AGM.

The spokesman for the “Ong” MCA faction announced after the rump MCA Central Committee meeting last evening that Najib would attend which was contradicted soon after by spokesmen from the “Liow” and “Chua” MCA factions that Najib would not attend!

As if it is not shameful and humiliating enough that Sunday’s 56th MCA AGM is being aborted in less than 72 hours of its scheduled meeting by directive and pressure from outside the MCA!

It would be understandable if the MCA “Three Kingdom” power tussle is over which faction could better champion the proclaimed objectives of the party or the proper implementation of announced government programmes like Najib’s 1Malaysia concept.
Continue reading “MCA dignity and humiliation plumbing new historic lows”

Posted on

First time in 56-year MCA history – fresh party leadership elections decided by external remote control

Who was the mastermind of the decision yesterday to halt the 56th MCA Annual General Meeting to be held in less than 72 hours on Sunday, 7th March 2010?

Not MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat though he subsequently claimed that he was the first to call for fresh party polls.

His first comment that his supporters had “expected this long-anticipated development” is the most eloquent admission that he was completely taken by surprise by Chua’s announcement – which was why the Bernama report of Chua’s shock announcement was preceded less than two hours earlier by Ong’s special interview as MCA President on the occasion of Sunday’s 56th MCA AGM, which is as good as spiked!

Not the second MCA Three-Kingdom challenger, MCA Vice Chairman Liow Tiong Lai – though the Liow faction must be very relieved that finally MCA party leadership elections are being held.

If not Ong and Liow, was Chua the mastermind of the move?

Nobody believes that Chua would dare, or to use the Chinese description “have the leopard’s bile”, to abort the 56th MCA AGM to be officially opened by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in less than 72 hours without any “green light” from above.
Continue reading “First time in 56-year MCA history – fresh party leadership elections decided by external remote control”

Posted on

MCA Ministers and leaders are the “politically walking-dead” in Malaysia

Surprise of surprises that there is a MCA Minister and leader who could bestir from their political comatose stage to notice current developments around them.

The MCA paper The Star today reported the MCA vice president Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha as commenting that “the ‘internal bleeding’ of Pakatan Rakyat is just the beginning of a more serious problem for the pact” and that “Normally, in medical terms, if there’s haemorrhaging in the brain, it will lead to a stroke”.

Thanks Kong for the concern, which must have been quite an exertion from a denizen of the “politically walking-dead” in Malaysia – the MCA Ministers and leaders.

Malaysians have ceased to ask why MCA Ministers have failed to pull their weight in Cabinet, as it is generally recognized that the “politically walking-dead” can have zero weight or input in serious matters of state – which is why MCA Ministers have nothing to say in Cabinet about national issues whether 1Malaysia, NEP, braindrain, corruption, galloping crime or recent issues as in getting the Cabinet to direct the Home Ministry to withdraw its appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court judgment of Datuk Lau Bee Lan allowing the Catholic weekly Herald to use the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia edition and to convene an inter-religious conference to resolve the “Allah” controversy; the exclusion of Chinese and Tamil primary schools in the selection of the first list of 20 high-performance schools or the Jakim insubordination and insurrection in organsing a forum for 800 civil servants last Thursday which openly defied the 1Malaysia concept.
Continue reading “MCA Ministers and leaders are the “politically walking-dead” in Malaysia”

Posted on

Walk the talk, Tee Keat!

COMMENT
By Thomas Lee
[email protected]
Monday 1 January 2010

MCA president Ong Tee Keat has made a bold declaration in his New Year message that he would be ready to lead the party to stand up to injustice, and engage any other like-minded forces to seek redress on issues of public concern.

“We have to be bold and we have to be loud if and when we have to. We need to transform and energise the MCA that will be fearless in championing equal opportunities and a level playing field, not only for the Chinese community, but for all Malaysians,” Tee Keat said in his message.

Brave words, indeed, but can Tee Keat really fulfill such a tall order he has set for himself and the MCA? Continue reading “Walk the talk, Tee Keat!”

Posted on

The myth of the indispensable hero Tee Keat

By Thomas Lee

The PKFZ issue has been branded about by certain people as the reason Ong Tee Keat should remain the MCA president and transport minister. These people seem to think that if Tee Keat is not holding these positions the probe into the multi-billion ringgit PKFZ scandal will grind to a stop.

Such thinking is simply simplistic and utterly uncanny, especially when many of those arguing in support of Tee Keat are supposed to be educated and intelligent people, some of them being leaders in political parties and non-governmental organisations.

Such people should know and understand that the PKFZ buck does not stop at the desk of Tee Keat but at the table of Umno boss and Prime Minister Najib Razak. The ultimate decision on what to do with PKFZ issue is not in the hand of Tee Keat but that of Najib. It doesn’t matter who the transport minister is as it is the prime minister who will finally call the shot and make the decision. The transport minister is merely his executive officer for carrying out his will and decision.
Continue reading “The myth of the indispensable hero Tee Keat”

Posted on

Why not a single Minister from MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP, Sabah and Sarawak dare to be as outspoken as Nazri to speak out against racism as well as BTN and Utusan Malaysia’s racist outpourings which subverts the very basis of a multi-racial Malaysian nation?

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz is proving to be a political leader of surprises, not only with his bold and courageous denunciation of Biro Tata Negara (BTN) divisive, racist and seditious indoctrination course but in speaking out forthrightly against Utusan Malaysia’s unadulterated racism.

Condemning Utusan Malaysia for its “outdated” racist propaganda, Nazri said the Umno-owned newspaper must accept that Malaysia is a multi-racial country.

It is a tragic and terrible commentary on the success of the nation-building process that 52 years after nationhood, a national daily which is owned by UMNO, the party in power in the past five decades, has refused to accept that Malaysia is a multi-racial country and continue to call Chinese as immigrants and Indians with derogatory terms like “keling”.

With such racist mindset and mentality in the corridors of power, Najib’s 1Malaysia concept and policy has no meaning whatsoever, and it is no wonder that the public preview of the 1Malaysia programme for the seven National Key Results Area (NKRA) initiatives today has to be put off.
Continue reading “Why not a single Minister from MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP, Sabah and Sarawak dare to be as outspoken as Nazri to speak out against racism as well as BTN and Utusan Malaysia’s racist outpourings which subverts the very basis of a multi-racial Malaysian nation?”