The appointments to the MCA central executive committee made by party president Ong Tee Keat was nothing but bold. He has to consolidate his grip over the party in view of a recalcitrant deputy by appointing those he can trust to key party positions and state leadership.

It is no secret that Ong and his deputy, Chua Soi Lek, are no political buddies. Hardly three days after the new line-up, Chua appeared to be on the collision course with Ong in his interview with Chinese-language Sin Chew Daily .

chua soi lek interview 240908 02 Chua has high expectation of being appointed a cabinet minister. Probably, his dream was shattered when he was not given any state to helm – an indication that Ong is clipping his political wings. This is not a good signal to him or his supporters.

However, Ong appointed him to head the party’s government affairs monitoring bureau.

Some people viewed it as a shrewd tactic to humour Chua, who had claimed he had a lot of connections in the BN government in view of his long tenure as Johor state executive councillor as well as some three years as health minister, a post he relinquished after the exposure of his sexual romp.

It seems unrealistic for him to expect a cabinet post as the Pakatan Rakyat opposition and the public will re-ignite his sex scandal.

History littered with ostracised leaders

ong tee keat interview 230810 05 Chua and his men cannot cry foul because Ong was acting within the confine of the party constitution. In fact, there were many past precedents that the deputy president and vice-president being sidelined or ostracised by the party chief.

In the 1982 general election, then Labour Minister Richard Ho, who was deputy president, was not re-nominated as BN candidate for the Lumut parliamentary seat which he had held since 1969. Instead, then president Lee San Choon fielded Ho's political secretary, Ng Cheng Kuai, to replace him.

Ho's only ‘sin’ was teaming up with Michael Chen, who challenged Lee, in the party election. Chen lost but Ho won the deputy presidency by defeating Chong Hon Nyan. Chong was made party secretary-general and retained his cabinet post. The nomination for ministerial positions is the prerogative of the president.

After winning a parliamentary seat in the 1982 general election, Lee Kim Sai, then MCA Youth chief, was not appointed to any government position, though he was told that the party had proposed him a deputy minister's position. Likewise, Yap Pian Hon, who won the vice–presidency twice, remained only as an MP during Dr Ling Liong Sik's presidency.

ling liong sik resignation In the abortive challenge against Ling Liong Sik in 1988, most of deputy president Lee Kim Sai's supporters were dropped from ministerial positions. They were replaced by supporters of Ling. Lee was eventually forced into retirement. That was, and still is, the reality of MCA - as well as Umno and MIC - politics.

With the exception of Kelantan, which is headed by Dr Ng Yen Yen, a known supporter of Chua, all the other states are headed by the president's men or at least by those not leaning towards Chua. Faced with this reality, many of Chua's supporters or allies are expected to desert him to safeguard their own political future. In politics, there is no permanent friends or enemies but only permanent self-interest.

Next to watch - ministerial appointments

Under the BN coalition government, the prime minister normally respects the nomination from the leaders of the respective component parties. Thus, next to watch is the change in the ministerial posts.

wong foon meng With the appointment of Wong Foon Meng ( left ) as new secretary-general, his predecessor Ong Ka Chuan appeared set to lose his cabinet position. Deputy Finance Minister Kong Cho Ha, who is from Lumut, appears to be the favourite for the elevation for two reasons – he is the top vice-president and Perak, being is a key state with three MPs, deserves a full minister. Replacing Ka Chuan with Kong is only fair game and good politics.

What about secretary-general Wong, who ranks third in the party hierarchy? He is currently a deputy speaker in the Senate. A senator is appointed on a three-year term for a maximum of two terms only. Thus it seems unlikely Wong will be nominated to a cabinet post because he could not serve out the full term.

mca party election nomination day 131008 16 ng yen yen Ng Yen Yen's open support for Chua has undermined her chances. Being a vice-president with the lowest number of votes, her cabinet position may not be completely secured.

Meanwhile, with a president bent on moral uprightness, Chua has a very dim political future unless he can muster enough support to topple Ong in the next party election. But going against the president openly may be more risky than his sexual romp.

HO KIN CHAI is a former journalist and lawyer. He is currently lecturing law and politics at a local university college.