While future generations may be the judge of our past actions, it is left to the living to set things right. The madness that has traumatised MCA must stop. It is time for a new beginning when all parties must take stock of the situation and prevent the possibility of a disaster that we can avoid.

The leaders involved in all the various ‘factions’ must be drawn into taking positions, inimical to their personal stand perhaps, in the light of political pressures from forces outside MCA. MCA must never go down in history to crawl onto its knees and accede to external forces.

MCA at 60 years is matured enough to resolve all its internal dispute. They must not pull at the apron strings of outside political forces, failing which it will be dragged down the long and dark corridor of shame.

MCA is an association. The contract of membership calls for the observance of all members of the rules of its constitution. Therefore the party constitution is the guiding force and it is the supreme document. The grounds rules of the game are all envisaged in it. All members including the president, must honour it and play by those rules.

Article 41 of the MCA constitution provides that: ‘If two-thirds or more of the elected members of the central committee shall at any time cease to be members of the central committee, the remaining members shall within three (3) days of the day when that event occurs elect one of themselves to convene at the shortest possible time and in any event not later than thirty (30) days from the date of that event an extraordinary meeting of the general assembly to elect a new central committee.

‘Until a new central committee has been elected, the remaining members of the central committee shall administer the affairs of the party. Provided that nothing herein shall prevent the re-election of any ex-central committee members.’

It is therefore abundantly clear that until and unless two-thirds of the MCA central committee resigns, there cannot be fresh polls. Nobody, however powerful, can instruct the party to have a fresh poll.

We must be mindful that the doctrine of collective responsibility calls for all MCA CC members to be bound by all decisions of the CC, even of which they were absent and had no part of the discussion or deciding but to which he subsequently gave tacit approval by continuing in office.

This principle must be totally binding on a CC member whatever he is doing or whatever capacity he may be acting in - there can be no derogation from his obligation always to act in that capacity. He cannot take the easy way out and pass the buck to the president.

It is indeed sad to read in the media that triad members from various states were mobilised to stir trouble at the MCA AGM of the Dec 5 For that reason, it had to be called off. If MCA allows its members resort to such gangland tactics, it will hit rock bottom.

Liow Tiong Lai has to take serious cognisance of such degrading developments in MCA. So must Wee Ka Siong and Chew Mei Fun. They must resist the temptation to be overambitious and sob their hearts out to the outside powers-that-be. History may not be kind to them otherwise.

To me, the writing is on the wall. There will be no fresh polls in MCA for now. All must march forward and support the ‘Greater Unity Plan’. Let there be no motive for revenge but only the vindication of transparency and accountability in the life of the party against leaders who are selfish and vested with self-interest.

We must fight for the things which MCA has always represented in our hearts and our belief in a single fundamental idea that describes ‘…what a proper government should be, the idea of family, mutuality, the sharing of benefit and burdens for the good of all, irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation’.

MCA has created a better future for our children by giving its people direction and purpose by constantly innovating and adapting to new realities.

Ong Tee Keat as MCA president has been a forthright leader who speaks up fearlessly. MCA still needs him to helm the party. Therefore, he must be given the space and time to navigate through these troubled and stormy times to achieve his visions of ‘courage to change and create new values’.

MCA can do it again if we do not forget that the Chinese community has profited from MCA’s progressive principles that had helped lift up generations to the middle-class and higher; MCA gave us a chance to work, to go to college, to raise a family, to own a house, to be secure in old age. Let no one destroy this legacy of our Chinese Malaysian dream.

Make it work or lose it all.