MCA : Road To Presidency Is Long And Winding For Liow

The battle for MCA leadership is getting intense with allegation of money changing hands in return for votes and allegiance changes accordingly to the contestants’ whims and fancies or to their benefits.

There are claims that some 120 party division chairmen around the country have been receiving some sort of allowances to ensure the divisions’ delegates allegiance and votes for those who pay while ghost writers have also been involved in being paid to promote certain individuals.

At present three candidates have already confirmed their candidacies while outgoing president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek is still keeping his intention close to his heart, who observers said he might just enter the fray on the 11^th hour to block contender Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai’s chance of victory.
The three are Liow, Datuk Ong Tee Keat and Gan Peng Sieu.

Liow is said to have presently command some 1,000 voters of the 2,385 delegates to the party poll on Dec 21 and he is working hard to influence some 600 to 700 more delegates to ensure he gets the post.

Observers said former president Ong does not seem to fair good as he seems to be able to only woo some 200 delegates who still sympathise with him while Gan is said to have some 900 delegates with him.
Although Gan had rubbished allegations that he is Chua’s proxy, it is understood that delegates have already ‘seen through the lines who Gan is’ but this does not deter them from supporting him as a leader.

Observers said Gan on the other hand may go for deputy president against Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong is Chua decides to join the number one battle at the last minute.

If such things happen, then the battle will see Ong being squashed leaving the arena for two ‘big boys’ Chua and Liow while for deputy will be Chua’s purported boy Gan against Liow’s running mate Wee.
It is said that depending on the result of the contest, if Chua wins, he may step down mid-term and hand over the presidency to Gan, if Gan wins number two.

“It’s a game of power and keeping control of the party but still, the most important thing is whether MCA can rally the Chinese community to support Barisan Nasional (BN).

“Right now, Malaysians know MCA does not have support from the community and as long as MCA keeps busy fighting for power and leadership control, the party can never influence the community to support BN.
“The party leaders need to get real…feel the pulse of the community and seek their wishes and needs…then try fulfilling them.

“If the party leaders, whoever they may be, fail to do this, then they will end up like Gerakan in the next general election,” said an observer.