MCA: Desperate times need desperate measures?

The latest events unfolding over the couple of days, even before yesterday's MCA central committee meeting, saw tables turned against Ong Tee Keat as his own stable of echelon core supporters quietly mounted a rebellion against him.

Ong (left) had reportedly said he would step down even if the motion of no-confidence was rejected by a simple majority.

It was therefore not surprising when Ong was asked by the central committee meeting to respect and abide by the wishes of the central delegates by stepping down.

The motion was passed by 1,155 votes to 1,141 at the EGM.

"Instead of tendering his resignation letter, Ong wanted the whole central committee to resign along with him," a central committee member said.

Did the central committee misread Ong's position or had they harboured a misplaced expectation of Ong? Were there telling signs that Ong all along had no intention of resigning?

Rather than being transparent and straightforward, Ong deliberately kept his party and public members in the dark over his intent to resign by taking a short break overseas soon after the fateful EGM.

Critics from within the party claimed Ong's 'loyal 4th-floor boys' coordinated and orchestrated an ambitious show of support to rally justification for Ong not resign at yesterday's central committee meeting.

Jostling for position

Full-paged advertisements splashed propaganda in support for Ong even as his loyal core supporters were negotiating and clamouring for political climb in the event of his stepping down, days before the CC meeting.

Ong had decided to woo public support against external pressures and those from within his own party clamouring for his resignation.

Despite all the 'wayang kulit', he continues to insist there is no basis for anyone to doubt his sincerity of intention to resign, and yet he argued that he still has a lot to do to reform the party and resolve the PKFZ scandal.

It was believed that at the central committee meeting, Ong had asked for the resignation of the committee en bloc , thereby paving for a fresh party election.

This confusing message over his reluctance to call it a day despite the recent party's EGM no-confidence vote against him is further complicated when he refused to step down unless the whole central committee quit along with him.

Or was it a master stroke in psychology, knowing the reluctance of central committee, particularly those with ministerial posts, to go along with the proposal?

Ong has sensed a rebellion coming from his own core supporters within his ranks at the central committee level, threatening his political survival, and is fighting back.

No comfort in comrades

If the 8th president had expected much-needed bit of nostalgic comfort from his comrades especially after the terrible EGM weekend, Ong was disappointed.

"Ong should know that politics is like running with a pack of wolves, the weak get mangled," a critic quipped sarcastically.

Ong had to bare his fangs and fight back.

Instead of rallying support around him, he sensed opportunists among them, scheming and negotiating for posts and political positions even before he had tendered his resignation although nobody was sure he would.

The earlier claim of a united central committee is also showing signs of divisiveness and rebellion when majority of the central committee refused to resign.

They claimed that the decision to expel Dr Chua Soi Lek was the sole decision of the president and the central committee should not be dragged into the debacle.

"The president was advised against the expulsion order but now he (Ong) is claiming it was a collective decision and wants the whole central committee to resign with him," a central committee member said on condition of anonymity.

"Ong wants the central committee to die with him just like the old China's dynasty emperor insisting others in his imperial palace to be buried along with him inside his grand tomb."

When the central committee refused to conform to the request of an en bloc resignation, Ong had to go for the jugular and invoked his powers to call another EGM.

Stop gap measure

And there will be many other decisions. Ong has apparently made known that his strategy to shut off the Chua faction would be carried out in stages.

Firstly, having elected Liow Tiong Lai to the deputy presidency post, Ong is hoping to close the gap of opportunity for Chua's supporters to clamour for the second top post.

When vice-president Kong Cho Ha ( left ) declined the nomination at the meeting, it was obviously clear that his hasty negotiation with Liow had been successful.

It is learned that Chua's supporters are also seeking an official interpretation from the relevant authorities on the resolutions passed pertaining to his former party status.

Secondly, given his temporary stand-off with the central committee, Ong has decided to invoke another EGM under presidential powers Article 30.1 for the central delegates to decide on two resolutions.

• Resolution 1 - for the EGM to decide whether the party should hold fresh party elections.

• Resolution 2 - for the EGM to re-ascertain or reaffirm confidence of the central committee line-up.

If both resolutions are passed overwhelmingly by the EGM, there will be a new light at the end of the tunnel.

The incumbent central committee members with government posts can safeguard their protected interests and Ong can give a convincing account to delay his resignation.

The debate will not be the president's resignation but how fast Ong can expedite a smooth leadership transition to Liow and prevent any effective intrusion of Chua's supporters into the power lineage.

Given what had transpired yesterday, it is not clear whether the game plan has been changed.

Whatever the case may be, the pertinent question is - will Ong's personality clashes with Chua, which had exploded into a retro-drama within the party, be able to win back the trust and respect from Malaysian voters?

It is said that if you want to know the character of a man, give him power.

To many other non-partisan observers, Ong had so far showed no tangible reforms within the party but has demonstrated a combative and self-destructive nature in his character.

And at the central committee meeting, Ong has proven he is capable of dealing a surprise card off the bottom of the deck in the face of ugly sectarianism within his ranks.