An MCA state leader and Team B supporter today questioned why party deputy president Lim Ah Lek was dropped as the disciplinary committee chairperson last week and warned that an open factional feud may recur in the near future as a result.

Perlis deputy state chief Loh Yoon Foo said the decision made by the central committee dominated by party president Dr Ling Liong Sik's loyalists should be considered "arrogant and going against the PM's wish".

" Status quo in the party president's favour was upheld and status quo not in his favour was done away with. It is a direct challenge to the peace plan," he said.

He said Ling had either taken Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the proposer of a peace plan for MCA in April, for granted or had taken Lim as a fool for trusting Mahathir.

"I don't think (Lim) Ah Lek is going to sit still on this. The party president has caused the biggest split right in the party. Let's see what Ah Lek will do," he said.

The peace plan, designed to end a year-long conflict between the two camps Team A led by Ling and Team B by Lim in the run-up to the triennial party polls in July had mandated that the status quo be maintained for all party posts. MCA leaders had then agreed to abide by it despite a few misgivings.

Outsider state chief

Loh also questioned why Ling had appointed party central committee member Chor Chee Heung, a leader from Kedah, to be the MCA Perlis state chief.

He said though the party president has the prerogative to appoint the party's state liaison chairperson, the tradition has it that the post is usually held by someone from within the state except for states which are going through tumultuous times.

"In the case of Perlis, close to 90 percent of the party members are supportive of Team B and there is no serious split among them. Furthermore, it is a small state with only three divisions," Loh said.

Prior to Chor's appointment, the MCA Perlis state chief's post had been left vacant for eight months since the late Khor Liang Tee, former state assembly member for Indera Kayangan, died of cancer last December.

Party state chiefs are noted to be powerful as they can influence the choice of candidates for parliamentary and state seats as well as district and municipal councillors. They can also appoint members to their respective state liaison committees.

Loh said MCA grassroots in Perlis have shown signs of dissatisfaction over the booting out of Lim as the disciplinary committee chairperson and the appointment of their new state chief Chor.

Merdeka march

"On Saturday, at the state-level National Day parade, many MCA members refused to take part in the party contingent and instead chose to march with representatives of Chinese guilds and associations.

"In the Indera Kayangan by-election early this year, some members were also reluctant to cooperate in the campaign," he said.

Meanwhile, a Team B supporter in Perak, Chan Kam said the two feuding factions were "back to business as usual" following the party's announcement of the disciplinary committee members and state chiefs last week.

"All the members chose to quiet down at the party annual general assembly (in July) but now we can see that the peace plan was not implemented in full. How can Dr Ling just overrule what was agreed to by both sides?" he asked.

The Batu Gajah division chief said the president had not complied with the peace plan though the party was told to abide by it.

Ling's resignation call

"I have let the pro-Team A incumbents to stay in the division. But Ling just interprets status quo the way he likes," said Chan, who is among the four Perak leaders urging Ling to step down over the weekend.

The other three are Batu Gajah division vice-chairperson Liew Choong Sang, Kampar division deputy chief Lee Chee Leong and Teja state assembly member Dr Ho Wai Chong.

In a related event, the New Straits Times editorial today said Ling's decision "to staff the MCA disciplinary committee with his own appointees smacks of overturning the democratic process".

"...in the long-drawn but as yet nonfatal feud between Dr Ling and his nemesis Datuk Lim Ah Lek, we have seen MCA-style democracy at work with a vengeance," the editorial continues.

It added that the party has constitutional provisions to allow both its president and deputy president to leave together.

Such a radical succession scenario "speaks of a certain sensible micro-management" as it "does not immediately raise the prospect of the old feud continuing to be fought by successive contenders", it said.