Najib not convinced MCA crisis is over

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid | Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The MCA might have solved its leadership crisis but Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak appears unconvinced, saying Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s reinstatement is just a legal solution.

The Prime Minister said there must also be a political solution to the party's crisis a day after the MCA central committee reaffirmed Dr Chua as the party No. 2 to president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, following a volte-face from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in deciding the issue.

"The decision by the RoS only solved the legal aspects, it is not the preference... this solution was only a result of RoS’s interpretation of the party's constitution as it takes a two-thirds majority to remove anyone from the party," Najib told reporters in Parliament today.

"The same happened with Tee Keat and it happened again with Soi Lek. MCA decided the party constitution be such and the RoS interpret it as such," the prime minister added.

Najib, the mediator that brought the rivalry between Ong and Dr Chua to a halt, however, felt that the decision by the RoS will not make up for the loss of trust of the Chinese community towards the party.

He said that MCA must have a two-pronged approach to its crisis. One is the legal solution and the second being the political solution and the prime minister doesn't seem to be too convinced that the latter can be solved.

"The second solution won't be easy for MCA. They need to sell the unity plan to its members and the Chinese community," he said.

Dr Chua's reinstatement was made following a declaration by the RoS that the deputy president’s position was not vacant following the results of the party’s Oct 10 EGM that saw his suspension overturned but his bid to be restored as deputy president rejected.

The decision came amid havoc in the party following the sacking of four central committee members by Ong as part of his pre-emptive measures to quell growing calls for a new EGM and fresh party polls.

The four — Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Hueng, Chai Kim Sen, national organising secretary Yoo Wei How and Gan Hon Su — were, ironically, appointed by Ong when he won the presidency in October 2008.

Asked if Chor would be replaced following his sacking, Najib said the matter has not been discussed but stressed that it was up to the government to decide and it has nothing to do with MCA.

The prime minister instead said MCA should focus more on winning the trust of the Chinese community instead of worrying about Chor's post in the government.