Less than a month after MCA president Ong Tee Keat made a personal attempt to shrug off gossip over his strained relationship with his deputy Dr Chua Soi Lek, their so-called truce has fizzled out.

In the latest turn of events, a 51-year-old resident of Kelana Jaya, Selangor, lodged a police report after discovering a sex DVD in his mail box.

chua soi lek It has plunged Chua ( left ) into a police investigation for alleged oral sex. This is the second time the DVD has surfaced since late 2007, after which Chua owned up to being the 'man in the tape'.

Still fresh in the memories of many is that the adverse publicity forced Chua’s resignation from MCA and as health minister.

Chua however made a comeback in the party election last October and moved back into active politics.

The latest development has set tongues wagging in MCA, with many speculating on the 'political gamesmanship' that is unravelling. Some view the sudden turn of events as likely to derail any hope of reconciliation between the two.

An increasing number of members are now beginning to feel that the 60-year-old party is jinxed, going by the history of clashes between past presidents and their deputies.

Will peace ever reign in MCA?

It did for a while after the Dr Ling Liong Sik (right) -Lim ling liong sik 02 Ah Lek crisis was brought to an end on Oct 23, 2003. The Ong Ka Ting-Chan Kong Choy leadership displayed a congenial working relationship for two terms, despite the fact that they respectively represented 'Team A' and 'B'.

Rumours of an EGM

Delegates had cherished the hope that Ong and Chua would be able to work together.

ong tee keat putrajaya pc sime darby diesel price pc 191208 02 Unfortunately the relationship worsened when pro-Chua supporters accused Ong (left) of marginalising his deputy by designating him to a bureau monitoring government policies.

This move invited sharp criticism from the pro-Chua camp that the president was disrespecting the wishes of delegates and deliberately reinforcing his power by pushing his supporters to key party posts in the central leadership line-up.

A party veteran has likened the relationship to that of a simmering and rumbling volcano bellowing smoke and occasionally resulting in small eruptions.

Part of this was attributed to the existence of a 'gag order' and recent rumours of an extraordinary general assembly (EGM) in the making.

An EGM, under Clause 30 of the MCA constitution, requires three criteria to be met:

- if directed by the president;

- if requisitioned in writing by at least one-third of the members of the central committee; or

- if requisitioned in writing by at least one-third of the members making up the general assembly under Article 33 of the constitution.

The general assembly comprises all central committee members, elected delegates by the respective divisions, members of parliament, state assemblypersons, divisional and state liaison committee chairpersons.

Anyone seeking an EGM must justify that it is specific in nature, such as calling for ‘a no-confidence’ vote against (or removal of) the president.

tan koon swan The only historic EGM recorded was during the Tan Koon Swan ( left )-Neo Yee Pan leadership crisis, when the acting president and his entire committee were removed for the 1984-1985 period.

Neo was accused of undemocratic actions which included unfair expulsion of party leaders and hordes of members, as well as the serious allegation that the membership lists were riddled with 'phantom members'.

If neither the EGM nor the police investigations become the determining factor in resolving their problems, Ong and Chua will have no choice but to work with one another until their tenure expires in 2011.