KUALA LUMPUR, 19 Oct 2009: Newly appointed MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today the party’s central committee (CC) would discuss the filling of one of the four posts of vice-president at its next meeting.
“It (the post) has to be discussed at the CC level. We do not know when the CC will meet. We have to wait for its next meeting,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.
Health Minister Liow, who was previously party vice-president, was elected by the CC as the deputy president on 15 Oct 2009 to replace suspended deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. This was after the MCA extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of 10 Oct 2009 passed a resolution reinstating Dr Chua as a party member but not as the deputy president.
The same EGM also passed a vote of no confidence in party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.
Asked about a resolution to the MCA leadership crisis, Liow said he and Ong often consulted one another over the telephone.
“We are ready to sit down and discuss the party’s future, interests and unity. I cannot give a definite time frame [when a solution can be arrived at], but we know that the people are banking their hopes on us, on the MCA, and we have to resolve our problem quickly.
“In this way, we can stabilise the party, as desired by the prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) so that component parties (of the Barisan Nasional) remain strong,” he said.
Liow said his job as the deputy president was not restricted to helping to strengthen the party but also to ensure that party members were united.
“I want all members to cooperate among themselves and ensure that the party is respected by the Chinese [Malaysian] community and the people. We have to get back to work fast because there is much on the agenda to be accomplished,” he said.
Asked to comment on the police report made by Segambut Member of Parliament, Lim Lip Eng of the DAP, against his wife, Lee Su Loo, about an allegation on the internet that she received a multi-purpose vehicle from a company involved in the ministry’s projects, Liow said the allegation was aimed at destroying his political career.
“All that is baseless. This is a political game and they are trying to drag my family into it. Everyone knows that the party has some problems and we have much work to do. I hope they will not use such tactics,” he said.
Liow, however, said he would give his full cooperation to the police in the matter.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed said today the police had referred the report to the MACC, and it would investigate. — Bernama
Andrew I says
“The CC meeting was the most fiery, rough and crude one we ever had. Individuals who were beneficiaries of the president’s office turned into vultures seeking for dead bodies and the intended corpse was the president’s body.”
Sounds almost Shakespearean.
I wonder what is meant by being a beneficiary. Anyone? So much for working for the people. Sometimes you don’t need to dig. It just sort of comes out by itself.