updated version

The report on the fracas at the MCA Youth annual general meeting cannot be made public because of the gag order imposed by the party president, said Youth chief Ong Tee Kiat today.

The gag order is for an indefinite period and its lifting has yet to be announced, Ong told reporters after attending the Ampang Jaya Residents Day function in Kuala Lumpur.

"I concur with some views that the report has to be made public because our transparency is at stake. But people may turn around and say we are doing a disservice to the party's image [by washing dirty linen in public].

"We do not want to fall into that trap. The ball is in party president Dr Ling Liong Sik's court now. Ask him why he is holding back the report. He is the best person to answer," said Ong.

Unruly meet

The Youth leader said he was mystified as to why the report cannot be made public as it is factual, has the identities of the people involved and testimonies from witnesses.

Ong revealed that the party's inquiry committee has identified 10 persons directly involved with the fracas and recommended some follow-up actions to the president, but declined to elaborate on them due the gag order.

The Aug 3 AGM at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur was fraught with flaring tempers, fistfights, 'flying' chairs and a bomb scare, largely due the controversy surrounding the parent party's takeover of Nanyang Press Holdings in May.

The unruly meet also saw the sacking of the Youth deputy chairperson Loh Seng Kok who is also Ling's political secretary and the wing' secretary-general Yew Tiong Look.

Following the incident, a report on the fracas was sent to party secretary-general Dr Ting Chew Peh while another was sent to the Inspector-General of Police.