Monday 20 October 2008

MCA's New Leaders: Will a reformed MCA Continue to be UMNO's Lap-Dog?

Read here article "MCA opts for reformist team " by Carolyn Ong






MCA Youth Chief

Excerpts:

The 2000-plus MCA delegates picked as president, Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat, who has a reputation for being outspoken. He won with a credible 512-vote majority over Mr Chua Jui Meng, a former health minister, who also came with reformist credentials.

The newly-elected president Ong Tee Keat has strong reformist credentials.

Despite the stigma of a sex scandal, Malaysia's former health minister Chua Soi Lek made a surprising comeback when he won the deputy president's post in the Malaysian Chinese Association. He has no government post, he is not an MP, and he has the baggage of a sex scandal. He resigned early this year (as Health Minister) after a DVD of him having sex with a woman stunned the nation. Dr. Chua Soi Lek did not contest the March election, and was written off politically. (MCA grassroots) see him as having been a good minister, and an effective negotiator with Umno who can defend their interests. He managed a narrow 114-vote majority in party polls on Saturday over Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Chuan, the brother of outgoing president Ong Ka Ting.

Party insiders point out that the new leadership lineup is largely made up of fresh faces seen as reformist, an indication that the grassroots are well aware of the realities.

To the outside observer, however, it seemed the MCA's choice was out of touch with the ground. In the March general election, voters abandoned the MCA, rejecting a leadership seen as subservient to Umno.

Some of outgoing president Ong Ka Ting's critics have also hailed Dr Chua Soi Lek's victory as a rejection of dynastic politics as his brother Mr Ong Ka Chuan was voted out. There had been discontent in the party about the dominance of the Ong brothers (Ka Ting and Ka Chuan).

The new MCA lineup is also seen as a break with the past, and setting new directions for the party. All four vice-presidents are new.

Former Women's chief Dr Ng Yen Yen made it into the ranks, the first woman to do so. It also includes Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, seen as a young professional.

Independent-minded Malacca grassroots leader Wong Nai Chee was elected into the central committee, while the well-regarded Dr Wee Ka Siong is the new Youth chief.

They are seen as leaders with little affiliation to the divisive teams of the past, and have spoken up strongly for the Chinese community's interests.

It now remains to be seen how the new president will manage his new team to remake MCA into a party with a multiracial outlook.

COMMENTARY

Chua Jui Meng: If Only He Had Won the MCA Presidency!

Read here article "Chua Jui Meng, MCA's Loss, Whose Gain?" on Din Merican's Blog

Excerpts

by Din Merican

".... It was indeed my distinct honour to be in the company of Dato’ Chua Jui Meng, Datin Chua and his close friends at dinner in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Although he did not win the MCA presidency, Jui Meng polled 4O per cent of the votes. It is indeed an achievement considering the fact that he no longer holds any party office since 2005.

Ong Tee Keat talks tough,(but) it is NOT likely that the new MCA President will “rock the Barisan national boat” and challenge the dominance of UMNO in the BN coalition.

So Jui Meng’s appeal, “March 8 was our wake up call; let MCA arise to a new dawn on October 18″, will fall on deaf ears.

As I engaged myself in intense conversation with him, I could not help but notice that Jui Meng was able to articulate his views clearly on major issues affecting both the MCA and our country.

His vision and ideas are reflected in his 2008 MCA Presidential Candidate manifesto titled “Rebuild The Party/Return to Relevance/Realise Vision 2020.” (click here to read) Bloggers and readers of this blog should visit
http://www.chuajuimeng.com/ for the full manifesto.

I propose to highlight some key elements of the Jui Meng manifesto, hopefully to stimulate some discussion for the benefit of all of us who are concerned about our current national malaise and the future of our plural, culturally diverse, and resource rich country. A lawyer by profession, Jui Meng opens his mainfesto with the following statement:

“The results of the General Elections this year should serve as a wake up call to our Party.

MCA has been labelled irrelevant and out of touch with the aspirations of not only the Malaysian Chinese community but the nation as a whole.

...I now predict that unless MCA reforms and transforms within the next 3 years we will face an even worse defeat at the next General Election”.

I take Jui Meng’s call for reform to mean that if MCA adopts the UMNO culture of money politics, patronage, and cronyism, as it is inclined to do now, the oldest Chinese party of Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun Tan Siew Sin would be badly beaten in the 13th General Elections and rejected by Malaysian Chinese.

It is obvious to me that his call was listened and accepted by about 40 per cent of the delegates, the rest being happy to accept the status quo which the new President, Dato Ong Tee Keat, represents.

If Jui Meng had won, he would have embarked on the path of reform centered on 3 ideas:

a) Rebuild the MCA;

b) Return to Relevance; and

c) Realise Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia.

There is a need for MCA to overcome its Post May 13, 1969 Syndrome.

It involves a transformation of the MCA mindset of a subordinate to UMNO. This syndrome has prevented the MCA from playing a more active role, as in a partnership of equals I presume, in formulating and deciding key policies that impact on the nation and the Chinese community.

Jui Meng adds that the MCA must NOT be afraid to offend UMNO and lose our positions and privileges if we speak out against policies that are obviously detrimental to the unity and development of our nation”.

In his Return to Relevance part of the manifesto, he states that the party leadership “must also reach out and reconnect MCA with the community”. The details of how Jui Meng proposes to do it are in the manifesto and need not concern us here.

His "Realise Vision 2020 segment" is perhaps the most daring and controversial articulation of his Vision for a United Malaysia.

The fact that he prepared to challenge the status quo and risk his chances for the presidency, I think, speaks volumes of the character and integrity of Jui Meng.

The MCA must fight and help realise Vision 2020 for ALL Malaysians, a vision that seeks to unite all Malaysians and to create a confident united nation with strong moral and ethical values living in a community that is democratic, liberal and tolerant, socially equitable and progressive with a resilient, robust and competitive economy.

His boldest statements in his manifesto relate to Article 8 (i) and (ii), Article 11(i) and (ii) and Article 12 (i) and Article 121 of the Federal Constitution.

On the NEP, Jui Meng said that it should be replaced by an affirmative action policy which is focused on poverty eradication and be based on needs.

I told him that I was taken up by some of his ideas which relate to national unity and social justice and would read his manifesto in full and promised to be in touch.

I asked Jui Meng, “what’s up next for you, Dato?”.

His spontaneous response was “Din, Datin and I are going to take a short break. But please remember, politics is in my blood and my business of bringing about change in the way we run the country will continue.”

He left me wondering what he might do next?

It is a sad fact that in a country where mediocrity is the culture and incompetence is indeed tolerated, we lose good men. They are not listened to, are often regarded with suspicion or even demonised as national security risks and traitors to the nation.

As such, they not only face rejection but also persecution and brutal treatment under the Internal Security Act. Yet only few good men with the dynamism, integrity, and courage to attract committed followers and supporters are all we need to transform our nation.

To this group of men, I would include Dato Chua Jui Meng. If Jui Meng is MCA’s loss, whose gain will it be, I wonder.

—Din Merican

3 comments:

Yap Chong Yee said...

It is time for the MCA to truely represent their true constituents, the Chinese who have for the past 50 years been used as stepping stone for the enrichment of miscreants who claim to represent the Chinese only to turn their opportunity into self aggrandisement; leaving the Chinese as victims of UMNO's racism.

Since March 8 elections, we the Chhinese people has found another voice in the opposition led by Dato Seri Anwar, who has openly and rightly declared his rejection of the NEP; this is the man who must lead a reformed Malaysian Government. A government who will restore THE RULE OF LAW, which to all Chinese is what is most important, because without RULE OF LAW, there cannot be any legal rights.

I ask my Chinese brothers & sisters to FORCE THE MCA TO SUPPORT DATO SERI ANWAR as the most important reform that we must not pass up. Supporting Dato Seri Anwar is CHANGE that we need. We Chinese can only find our own strength if we act in our own interests, and this can only come from our leaders who can be independant of the BULLYING OF UMNO. If MCA still act as the DOG OF UMNO then we wuill have passed up our only chance to find our own strength. Chinese must realise that we can only find our own strength if Chinese form our CHINESE VOTE INTO THE SWING VOTE AND THAT IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD.

WE CHINESE MUST BE THE SWING VOTERS, BECAUSE IT IS ONLY IF WE ARE THE SWING VOTERS AS A BLOCK THAT WE WILL STAND UP AND BE STRONG IN OUR OWN RIGHT.

MCA NEEDS TO STEER AWAY FROM UMNO AND TO JOIN WITH DATO SERI ANWAR AND STAND IN OUR OWN RIGHT INSTEAD OF BEING THE DOG OF UMNO. UMNO HAS FOR 50 YEARS SPAT IN OUR FACE AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BREAK FREE. DO NOT MISS THIS CHANCE.

Anonymous said...

Do you think MCA, MIC & Gerakan will survive next general election?They are just dogs of the UMNO idiots. M'sia will never ever attain vision 2020 goal because there are too many idiots governing our beloved country.

Unknown said...

Attorney General's Profile







The Honourable Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail
Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was appointed as the eighth Attorney General of Malaysia on 1 January 2002.
His illustrious career began on 15 April 1980 with his appointment as a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
In 1985, he was appointed as the Senior Federal Counsel for Sabah and held this post until his appointment as the Head of the Prosecution Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers on 16 January 1994.
His next appointments were as the Head of the Advisory and International Division in 1995 and the Commissioner of Law Revision in 1997. He was then appointed to a second tour of duty as the Head of the Prosecution Division in 2000.
Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail graduated from University Malaya (LLB. Hons.) in 1979. He was born on 6 October 1955 and is married to Puan Sri Maimon bt. Datuk Hj. Ariff.





Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail


Awards Received Bodies and Committees
1. Conferred the Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN) : 14 April 1993
2. Conferred the Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Perlis (DPMP) which carries the title Dato’
: 01 July 1995
3. Conferred the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK) which carries the title Dato’
: 16 September 2001
4. Conferred the Seri Panglima Darjah Kinabalu (SPDK) which carries the title Datuk Seri Panglima
: 16 September 2002
5. Conferred the Ahli Yang Pertama (Seri Paduka) bagi Darjah Kebesaran Jiwa Mahkota Kelantan Yang Amat Mulia (SJMK) which carries the title Dato’
: 30 March 2003
6. Conferred the Pingat Setia Mahkota (PSM) which carries the title Tan Sri : 07 June 2003
7. Conferred the Darjah Kebesaran Datuk Setia Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (SSIS) which carries the title Datuk Setia : 13 December 2003
8. Conferred the Darjah Gemilang Seri Melaka (DGSM) which carries the title Datuk Seri : 09 October 2004
9. Conferred the Panglima Mangku Negara (PMN) which carries the title Tan Sri
: 04 June 2005
10. Conferred the Darjah Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP) which carried the title Datuk Seri : 24 October 2005
Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail is the Chairman of Malaysian Kuwaiti Investment , Legal Profession Qualifying Board of Malaysian and the National Higher Education Council.
He is also a member of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, Pardons Board of States in the Federation and the Federal Territories, Management Board of the Judicial and Legal Training Institute, Advisory Panel, Central Bank of Malaysia, Cabinet Committee of the Reorganisation of Mimos and a member of the Board of



Website - http://mybaru.blogspot.com/