"Noise proves nothing - often a hen merely laid an egg crackles as if she has laid an asteroid," said famous American novelist Mark Twain.

So when party president Ong Ka Ting introduced the imposition of term limits on office holders, capping the tenure of ministers and state executive councillors including his own presidency post to a maximum of nine years under constitutional amendments passed in 2003, his reform agenda was hailed as a refreshing change to the country’s political landscape.

Ka Ting won praises for his many reforms since he took over in 2003. It included overhauling the membership registration system making it easier for recruitment of new members, limiting the number of delegates to the general assembly, setting new rules and regulations for electioneering campaign like stamping out money politics and discouraging practices in the distribution of election menu during party elections