If Everyone Loves and Concerns for the Party…
By Tan Jue Jun
“To all these members who care and love the party, I say I hear you, loud and clear.”
After a series of dramatic MCA in-fighting, finally, the big guardian has broken his silence and decided to contest for party presidency on March 28 fresh polls.
This move has made Ong Ka Ting the first former party president who has come out from retirement to contest for the top party post, creating a political history in Malaysia.
In June 28, 2008, Ka Ting had given his promise to not seek re-election of the presidency as he supposed he had left the party in safe and united hands.
And all these while, he has been keeping his promise well by being neutral in various issues involving MCA leaderships, including the factional in-fighting since October 2009, despite rumours that Ka Ting was involved in the presidential overthrow conspiracy which caused his immediate successor Ong Tee Keat to lose out in a vote of no-confidence against him in October 10, last year.
Ka Ting said in a media statement today that the current state of affairs which had brought shame to the party as well as its supporters has deeply urged him to make a courageous move and put his pride at risk should he fail to win the presidency.
“All in all, I am doing this out of my love and concern for the party and community,” he added.
What a familiar quote, which has flooded media coverage ever since the MCA in-fighting bursts.
For those who condemned others for not being able to be morally and ethically responsible (to family, community and nation) – they use this quote to justify their blames.
For those who urged others to step down as they were no longer able to remain a credible and convincing leadership – they employ this quote to justify their moves.
For those who expressed disappointment towards others for being disloyal and too desperate to move upward – they take up this quote to justify their frustrations.
And now, for those who start to announce their intention to contest in the total 31 party leadership posts, as well as those who wish to seek for re-election – they fully utilize this quote to justify their decisions, hoping to seek supports from all the central delegates.
To lead a party; to represent a community, is not any easy chore.
MCA’s million-strong members and members of the community never needed someone who takes such a great quote for granted, yet act selfishly, putting aside good values of healthy political culture as well as leaving behind the plights of the public to become their leader.
What they are desperate to get so far is a sincere, humble and credible personnel to be willing to take various challenges to bring stability, restore credibility and rule of law in the party, making the party stronger to better represent and voice out for the rakyat.
If everyone loves and concerns for the party, it’s time for MCA leaders/fresh polls candidates (future leaders) to start contemplating one’s own thoughts, wills, intentions and further moves.
It’s also time for the over 2,000 MCA central delegates to put aside their emotional affections towards certain leaderships and make the impartial, perhaps the wisest choice to pick the “right” person to lead the party in order to restore the public’s confidence upon the party – if everyone really cares and loves the party.
(Ms. Tan Jue Jun is a UTAR Journalism lecturer; she has previously worked as China Press journalist.)
