Ong to his enemies: This is a real fight to the end

"I am willing to dismantle this time-bomb and if I fail, I will be the first to die."

It is beginning to sound like a regular movie script fit for an acting hero but nevertheless, MCA president Ong Tee Keat could be forgiven for being overtly dramatic. He is in fact, not fighting, for an ideological victory but a battle of the hearts and minds.

The MCA president is currently on a nationwide tour having covered Johor, part of Perak and Selangor, at each stop delivering the same message in different shades and shapes of arguments, wooing emotional empathy and garnering winning support particularly from the party's central delegates.

Claiming that he was under frontal attacks from all sides, within and without the party, delivering a metaphorically neat phrase was probably politically expedient.

His critics may scoff at Ong for being too dramatic, speculating his probable death (politically) linking to the controversial "time bomb" (Port Klang Free Trade Zone issue).

According to Ong's perception, the PKFZ issue is a time-bomb for MCA at the next general election. If it remains unresolved, the demise of the party is a surety.

Party insiders said ironically although Ong had frequently brushed off his own safety or threats as unimportant, lately they noticed that recently he had engaged an additional number of "body guards" accompanying him on private and official duties since his open squabbling over the PKFZ issue.

Ong said he took over the "time-bomb" soon after the "308" political tsunami when he was appointed as transport minister. He admitted that fate was in store for him when the "916" (referring to Sept 16, 2008) did not materialise despite PKR's Anwar Ibrahim openly declaring that the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat would topple the Barisan Nasional federal government.

"Otherwise, my ministerial position would have ended on Sept 15," he said.

"The PKFZ project started in 2001 while I was only appointed as transport minister in 2008," Ong said alternatively he could have ignored the allegations surrounding the project.

"I could have told my supporters that the project was none of my concern. I could have taken the easy way out (as minister) by thinking it best not to conduct any investigation (into the allegations)," said the transport minister.

This is a real fight

But Ong explained why he had chosen the hard way to act and took the risk.

"In a way, I am waiting for death. "Do you think Malaysians are stupid? Voters want transparency and accountability. Don't blame the blogs for posting gossips and speculations (on the PKFZ)."

Describing his head-on collusion to resolve the PKFZ saga, Ong prompted, "I am fighting for real and Ong Tee Keat never fakes his fights. As long as I have this breath, I will carry on this task."

The MCA president concluded this resolve to march head-on against any challenges threatening his efforts to dive deeper into the PKFZ controversy or to overcome the political fall-out with his deputy Chua Soi Lek.

For all his self-styled ‘straight talk' calling a spade, a spade, Ong's apparent "voice of conscience" is presently under tremendous challenge. He claimed there is a concerted conspiracy against him by certain quarters outside the party and detractors within his party ranks orchestrating to topple him with a purse-string of RM100 million funding.

"I stood my ground simply because I was guided by my conscience," Ong said, in an interview with a local press in 2003 when asked about his leadership and quality being tested on disagreements with the former president Dr Ling Liong Sik over several contentious issues notably over the issue of the youth movement he was leading at that time was suspended over a "chair-throwing" fracas during the party's factional crisis between Ling-Lim's team A and B.

Ong later remarked, on hindsight, years after his open confrontation with Ling, that "I might have incurred his wrath but I merely fought on issues and principles.

"I was then adamant with my stance not because of any contemplation to steal the limelight. In fact, if I was seeking publicity, this would certainly be an extremely dicey move which could likely cost me my political career," he said.

He was referring to his accusation against the involvement of triads within the party and the purchase of Nanyang Siang Pau by the pro-Ling leadership.

"To say my motive was to unseat the president (Ling), I think such a claim was totally absurd as I was in a much lower echelon in the leadership hierarchy," stated Ong, recalling the days of being bullied by the political might of the former president.

In September 2006, Ong was reprimanded by the cabinet for publicly criticising another federal ministry (for having raised the misappropriation of funds) over a primary school in Johor, having received RM3,000 worth of repair works but charged for RM30,000.

Today, that same voice of conscience is haunting Ong in his 10-month reign as president since being elected on October 18 last year.

The political donation issue

Rebutting some of the critics that he was playing the role as hero by claiming there were "threats" against him and his family over his handling of the PKFZ fiasco, Ong reminded the gathering of the BMf financial scandal in the 1980s took two human lives.

"Today I am (party) president but tomorrow, I might not be although I would still be a member. I will not allow our detractors and rivals to see our party becoming chaotic and rotting away," he added.

Ong also compared the possible collapse of a political party akin to a tree affected by the rotting process right down to its roots before toppling to its death.

"The MCA must be seen to carry out reforms and not merely paying lip-service. People are asking whether MCA dares or otherwise merely talking?

"We are answerable to the ‘rakyat' and resolving the PKFZ fiasco is closely linked to MCA's reforms. Compared to BMf, the gravity of the PKFZ saga is multi-fold, liable to financial losses in billions," he said.

Ong also denied taking the RM10 million in 2008 as alleged by Tiong King Sing, CEO of Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB).

MP for Bintulu Tiong ( left ) is also treasurer-general for Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party. He was reportedly and allegedly to have said: "I donated the money (to MCA) to unite their members and serve the people well."

"I offered a cheque but Ong asked for cash because it was faster. I am very sincere in my intentions," he had added.

Denying Tiong's allegation at the Selangor MCA gathering, Ong said: "If I had taken the money I should be his good friend but why should I institute an investigation instead against Tiong and his company KDSB?

"If I had wanted, you think he would not give more?

"I had lodged a police report previously but tomorrow (Monday, Aug 24) I will file court papers against him (Tiong) for defamation . What ever I get or no matter how much the court awards, I will donate these monies towards the cause of Chinese education," Ong pledged, drawing loud applause from the gathering.

EGM to topple me

Disputing Tiong's claim that the RM10 million allegedly given to him was a private matter, Ong refuted that he has anything in common with Tiong except that they are both members of parliament although pointing out the differences, stating that, "I am from Peninsular (Malaysia) and he is from Sarawak.

"I am a minister and he is a contractor and we are not related (through family relationship). We are not even politically friendly. PKFZ was not started by me or the MCA, so don't claim any relationship," continued Ong, adding that he had neither taken any loan nor money from Tiong.

Besides accusing Tiong for allegedly raising the RM10 million loan as a deliberate attempt to divert public attention from the core issues facing PKFZ, Ong also launched an offensive attack against his deputy president Chua Soi Lek for being the prime mover and conspiring with certain quarters outside the party to petition the much-talked about "Extraordinary General Assembly" (EGM) to topple his leadership.

Claiming his detractors had a collective funding of RM100 million to finance an EGM to topple him in the party, Ong interpreted that move as one not to topple him but the party.

"Do you know how much this RM100 million means? It can be used to build 20 Chinese primary schools but this is used to buy votes," Ong alleged.

"This is an insult (to delegates). Do they think they can buy our souls?"

"Some blogs accused me for being stubborn and a coward for not daring to say ‘No' to UMNO leadership," he added

‘He moaned to the PM'

Ong further disclosed that Chua's constant moaning and groaning to the public had even caught the attention of the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"The prime minister had a discussion with me after disclosing that Chua had also pestered him (on claims of being marginalised)."

"The prime minister told me to give him (Chua) a post, suggesting a state chairmanship or disciplinary chairman. Finally, the prime minister appointed Chua as the BN chief coordinator," he added.

He said that the post, without any terms of reference, had confused many people to ask him of Chua's position was equivalent to a minister status.

"I replied that except for some ambassadors appointed to certain countries who are given ministerial rank, the BN chief coordinator post is not related to a ministerial posting," said Ong.

The calm before the storm may not last too long in view of the ongoing row between Ong and his deputy Chua. Their relationship has reached a point of no-return and beyond any option of reconciliation.