Power of Tee Keat's prayers

Three months ago I wrote about Ong Tee Keat's prayer beads which he wore on his wrist that provides him with the protection from evil forces. Basing on the development in MCA for the last two weeks, it is obvious his beads is still working well for him.

Some may dismiss this as mere superstitious belief and credit his greater unity plan with Chua Soi Lek to his remarkable political acumens which left his latest political enemies and traitors high and dry. Before anyone declares that it was just another political conflict and manoeuvring, it it necessary to reflect on the statement by MCA Central Committee member Ti Lian Ker who reportedly said there was evilness during the CC meeting on Oct 15. Ong Tee Keat not only managed to protect himself from these evil forces but turn the tables on these evil forces by declaring he will be calling another EGM via his presidential powers.

After getting to see wolves hastily removing their sheep's skin in front of his own eyes, Tee Keat's mind was still in a state calmness to give these pack of wolves a good lesson which earlier were ready to jump onto their biggest prey and devour it. At this stage his positive energy is still enveloping and protecting him from the evil forces but he will need to be more cautious and wiser in determining those who are the real sheeps and those who are actually wolves in sheep's skin.

With more prayers, right thoughts, compassion and faith, may he find solitude and peace in his endeavours. - Loka

Tee Keat-Tiong Lai-Seng Kok's conundrum

The sudden turn of events in MCA after the Oct 10 EGM re-inforced the truth in the old sayings that there are no permanent friends or foes in politics and your greatest enemy is your closest friend.

During the Central Committee(CC) meeting held after the EGM, a group of CC members lead by the newly appointed deputy president Liow Tiong Lai reportedly told Ong Tee Keat to honour his word to resign as president of MCA. Their action was to enable Tiong Lai to take over as president immediately after Tee Keat resigns. The other vice president Kong Cho Ha  is then expected to be appointed to the "vacant" deputy president position. Tee Keat had asked the CC to resign to be collectively responsible for the CC decision to suspend Chua Soi Lek's membership which was rejected by the central delegates in the EGM. The CC declined to resign.

Ong Tee Keat - Liow Tiong Lai - Loh Seng Kok's conundrum

Ong Tee Keat felt betrayed and bitter by the actions of his CC friends and close supporters who turned against him. Even though he did not mentioned any name, it was very clear that he was very sad with the sudden turn around of his strong supporters and friends especially Liow Tiong Lai. Until the the last minute before the EGM, everyone can see that Tiong Lai has been supporting Tee Keat and following him around the country to drummed up support from the central delegates. In an unexpected manoeuvre, Tee Keat uses his presidential constitutional power to call for another EGM to determine whether fresh election should be called for the central committee.

The close relationship between Tee Keat and Tiong Lai can be traced to their MCA Youth days. During the frictions between Team A and Team B, both of them were in the same team, Team B. Tee Keat was then the Youth chief and Tiong Lai, just like Seng Kok, has been in the Youth committee since 1990. As an interim measures to address the contending factions in MCA Youth, Team B's Tiong Lai was appointed MCA Youth Joint Secretary General with Team A's Loh Seng Kok in 2002. During this period, due to Team A and Team B political baggage, it was obvious Tee Keat had a better working relationship with Tiong Lai.

In the 2005 MCA AGM, Tee Keat did not defend his Youth Chief position but stood for the vice presidency instead. He won in a stiff fight and was "promoted" and transferred to the Higher Education Ministry as its deputy Minister in a Cabinet reshuffle in Feb 2006.

During the Oct 2008 MCA election, the then president Ong Ka Ting steps down to take responsibilities for MCA's worst electoral performance in the March 2008 12th General Election when it only managed to win 15 parliamentary seats. Ong Tee Keat was the only MCA candidate to win a parliamentary seat in the state of Selangor which was conquered by the opposition parties. Tee Keat was appointed Transport Minister after the 12th General Election. Tee Keat later stood for the MCA presidential post and beaten former vice president Chua Jui Meng to claim the presidency.


In the 2005 AGM, Tiong Lai offers himself to replace Tee Keat as the Youth Chief while Seng Kok stood for the deputy chairman position. It was during this party election that Tee Keat had endorsed Tiong Lai as his successor and Tiong Lai easily trounced political minnow Song Kee Chai. Tiong Lai subsequently took over the deputy minister position in  the Youth and Sports Ministry vacated by Tee Keat. While Tiong Lai had a smooth ride to be elected Youth chief, Seng Kok faces a tough fight. His political career was jolted when he was beaten to the deputy youth chairman position by Ling Hee Liong, the eldest son of Ling Liong Sik in a four corner fight. It seems that votes from Liow Tiong Lai's supporters was not delivered to Seng Kok as expected but went to his rivals instead. If Seng Kok had won the Youth deputy head position, situation might have been different today.

During the 2008 AGM, Tiong Lai was elected as one of the vice presidents with the second highest number of votes received after Kong Cho Ha. Seng Kok managed to get himself elected as a member of the CC which was dominated by Tee Keat's supporters. While Tiong Lai ascendency to higher political office proceed smoothly after 2005 when he was appointed as a Youth and Sports deputy minister and gained a fast tracked promotion as Health Minister in March 2008, Seng Kok's political career was shaky after his loss in the 2005 party election.

Even though Loh Seng Kok was one of the most hard working and promising Member of Parliament he was dropped as a candidate for the Kelana Jaya constituency which he was first elected in 2004 since he did not hold any senior position in either division, state or national level. After he won a seat in the CC during the 2008 party election he was not given any portfolio in the party structure. To add salt to injury non of the other party bureaus invited him to be a member. At last the head of the Government Policy Monitoring Bureau Chua Soi Lek, also MCA deputy president inducted Seng Kok as a member of his bureau. The involvement in this bureau at least allows him a platform to speak up on governmental issues and kept himself within the media radar. Due to this and other historical Team A factor, it is not surprising for Seng Kok to give his support and place his political future in Chua Soi Lek's camp.

MCA and UKM connection

Liow Tiong Lai and Loh Seng Kok were close friends during their universities days in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in the mid 1980's. Their relationship was fostered through their active participation and leadership in the Chinese Community Committee (CCC) of UKM, a special committee within the UKM Students Union which take care the interest of the Chinese students. The CCC is the main player in the popular "Pesta Tanglung" which was organised annually by the students. The CCC was later "dissolved" by the then UKM Students Union in 1986 but continued to be active via their established networking until today.

It is through the CCC that enables many of the Chinese students in UKM to have close contact with MCA, especially its youth wing. The CCC-MCA relationship was further enhanced when Dr. Ting Chew Peh, an Anthropologist lecturer in UKM was asked to be the MCA candidate in the Gopeng by-election in 1987. The seat was vacated by the then MCA president Tan Koon Swan who was jailed due to criminal breach of trust in relation to the Pan Electric Industries debacle. Tiong Lai who graduated from UKM  in 1986 assisted MCA in the by-election and some of the CCC leaders went to Gopeng to provide moral support to their lecturer.

Some of the CCC leaders from the mid-80s were later recruited as staffs of MCA after their graduation. These leaders includes Liow Tiong Lai, Yu Kee Su and Loh Seng Kok who were later appointed  political secretaries to MCA top guns namely, Lim Ah Lek (Minister of Human Resources), Ting Chew Peh (Minister of Housing and Local Government) and Ling Liong Sik (Minister of Transport) respectively. Yu Kee Su left the political arena  for the private sector after his boss Ting Chew Peh was dropped from the Cabinet in 1999.

The surged of UKM graduates involving in MCA began to evolved and grows in strength beginning in the 1980s through the CCC connection. These graduates even established a MCA branch (Bukit Mewah, Cheras) specifically to enrol graduates from UKM as members. After this early batch of Liow Tiong Lai's group, more and more UKM Chinese graduates began to be directly involved in MCA politics.

The Curse of Health Ministry

It is yet to be seen whether Liow Tiong Lai will be successful in his quest to become the first UKM graduate to assume the presidency of the largest Chinese-based political party in Malaysia. With so much politiking and struggle for power within MCA, no one knows what will happens tomorrow? If Liow Tiong Lai misses his steps while striving towards higher political office, will he succumbed to the curse of the Health Ministership. His immediate predecessors Chua Soi Lek, Chua Jui Meng and even Ong Ka Ting who was one time Acting Minister after Chua Soi Lek resigns, all of them faces their Waterloo when assigned to the ministerial portfolio in the Ministry of Health. Or is it Ministry of Hell?

With events unfolding by the day, will it come to a stage where Ong Tee Keat and Loh Seng Kok from Chua Soi Lek's camp join forces to face the challenges from Liow Tiong Lai's camp? It is only the protagonists and antagonists that will be able to provide answers to this conundrum. We are only spectators in unfolding this chapter of history. - Loka

p/s - When Liow Tiong Lai was first appointed as Health Minister in March 2008, I suggested to his secretary to ask his boss to invite a monk to conduct blessings in his office. I am not sure whether the suggestion was taken up but the signs available so far shows it has not been taken seriously. At this stage of political upheavals in MCA, maybe it's not too late for Tiong Lai to have his blessings before it's too late.

Malaysia Day is national holiday

Finally, the Federal government decided to declare September 16 as a national holiday in recognition of its importance in our nation's history. This announcement is special not only for our brothers and sisters in Sabah and Sarawak but for all who declares themselves as citizens of Malaysia.

The people has been asking the government to acknowledge the formation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963 as an important historical national event.

Now lets get on with the task of ensuring both Sarawak and Sabah have the fair share of equitable development in years to come. - Loka

Friendly neighbour taken for granted

In 2005 when the Malaysian Youth Council (MYC) delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Istana in Jakarta, the then MYC president Dr. Mohd Khir Toyo said to the Indonesian president, "We can select our friends but we cannot select our neighbours".

During that time it was at the height of the Ambalat maritime block claim dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia. The Ambalat sea block has been a point of contesting claims between these two countries due to the existence of oil and natural gas under the sea bed.

The love hate relationship  between these "sebangsa and serumpun" (same race and same roots) countries has been going on for many years. The climax of all was when the then Indonesian president Sukarno launched the Confrontation against Malaysia in early 1960s when the idea to set up Malaysia was being finalised. Sukarno battle cry "Ganyang Malaysian" (Crush Malaysia) was translated into the attack of the Tebedu police station in Sarawak on 12 April 1963 and the landing of Indonesian paratroopers in 1964 in Labis, Johore which were captured or killed the Malaysian and Commonwealth armed forces. The Confrontation with skirmishes and fire power battle between Malaysian and Commonwealth join forces against Indonesian troops and supporters especially in Sarawak lasts until mid 1966 after Sukarno was swept from power in a coup led by General Suharto in March 1966.

The Indonesian just could not leave any opportunity to pick on Malaysia based on the slightest issue - real,  perceived or self hallucination. The claims on unfair treatment of Indonesian maids, stealing of their songs and dances, export of terrorists, Malaysian companies causing the annual haze in Indonesia and the Sipidan, Ligitan and Ambalat territorial claims are some of the list of issues raised by Indonesia in their continuous and extended  "Confrontation" with Malaysia.

The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta must be one of the most defensive embassy amongst all the Malaysia's embassies all over the world. Sited in one of the busiest area in Jakarta, the embassy will be the focus of the Indonesian students and demonstrators whenever they have any bones to pick with Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia must have lost count the number of Jalur Gemilangs already burnt in front of the embassy gate by the Indonesian demonstrators. So far there is no report mentioning any burning of Indonesian flag Sang Saka Merah Putih in front of the Indonesian embassy at Jalan Tun Razak either by any political party youth wing or any other Malaysian protestors.

Malaysians especially those in the political arena are known to protest against any other government on the slightest provocation or perceived interference in Malaysian affairs or showing disrespect to Malaysian leaders. These protesters will even demonstrate against injustice of one country on another country. At one time Umno Youth leaders even protested and gate crashed into a meeting discussing the situation of the then East Timor which was seeking separation from Indonesia. The  protestors were actually supporting the Indonesian government and the then Indonesian Ambassador openly shown his appreciation to these protestors who are said to be his serumpun and sebangsa.

When the annual haze from Indonesia began to become a regular visitor to Malaysia and causing extreme discomfort and increasing risks of sickness due to the haze, the Malaysian government spends millions in sending fire fighters and other support to put out the hazardous fire in Indonesia. What Malaysia got in return was not a big thank you but the claims that the haze were caused by Malaysian-owned plantation company in Indonesia. Indirectly Indonesia are saying they are unable to run their country well as they can't even take matters in their hands in ensuring these companies follows the law of the land. Maybe the rule of law is not so persuasive in comparison to the rule of man and money. In the end Malaysia got more than what she can bargain for when these sebangsa and serumpun firemen came back firefighting with respiratory problems and skin diseases due to over exposure to the toxic haze.

When the Indian Ocean Tsunami happens on 26 December 2004, the disaster caused hundreds of thousands of lives to perished and loss of billions of dollars. Acheh in Indonesia was greatly hit by this natural disaster and more than 130,000 lives were lost in Indonesia alone with about half a million people displaced. Even though Malaysia was also hit by the tsunami, Malaysians and the government took the necessary actions to provide assistance to the Indonesian people suffering from the disaster. Millions of dollars worth of food, drinking water, medical supplies, tents, body bags and body cloth (kain kapan) for Muslim deads, machineries, building materials and contruction of houses and schools for the displaced victims. These are the things that those from the Malaysian side of the sebangsa and serumpun did for their counterparts in Indonesia after the tsunami.

Now after the Padang earthquake recently, Malaysian reacted instantly by raising funds to help the Indonesian victims. The Malaysia government sent in their C-130 plane loaded with foodstuffs for the victims. What Malaysia got in return? Instead of open hands in praise and appreciation of their serumpun and sebangsa for helping out in times of need, the plane was pelted with stones and Indonesian immigration officers still wants to charge exit tax on Malaysia medical students in Padang who lost everything during the earthquake. On top of that, there are this so called Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (Bendera) people who wants to "Ganyang Malaysia" with sharpen bamboo and sticks! What else can be said of these sort of ungrateful flag burning people of the so called same rumpun! What are the actions taken by the governments of both countries against these enemy of the state that create tensions and promote violence and terrorism? Just half hearted and a slap on the hand warning.

If this is the type of neighbour that we are forced to have because we have no other choice, we will be much better if they just leave us alone.

Why didn't the government review diplomatic ties with Indonesia and build perimeters all along the Kalimantan borders and provide heavy sentences on any illegal Indonesian immigrants who dares to cross the Straits of Malacca and set foot in Malaysia. Maybe placing them in a Pulau Bidong liked island just like how the Malaysian government treated the Vietnamese boat people in the 1970s can be a deterrence since other methods failed to stop these illegals from becoming a threat to national security by snooping into the country again and again. To protect the nation's security, stop the recruitment of maids and foreign workers from Indonesia whom are specially targetted by "Bendera" as their frontline in their planned "invasion" of Malaysia . There are still many foreign countries who are neither serumpun nor sebangsa who will be more than happy to sent their people to work in this country peacefully.

But then the powers-that-be in the government will never ever thought of that as these people's mentality is just like a little brother with inferiority complex who is always subservient to the big brother, even if the big brother is obnoxious, arrogant and having self pity.

We can have friends everywhere and friendly to everyone but we don't have to submit to a ridiculous and big brother attitude neighbour. - Loka

Tee Keat- fight one last round

In the event of any war, there will be those that will suffer the agony of defeat and those who basked in the glory of success. In between them there will be those who will reap the spoils of war. In the history of mankind, war always affects those who are part of it and those innocents who are sacrificed as collateral damage. Some experienced the worst of all and lost everything they had while some will grabbed the opportunity to secure the benefits that would have eluded them if there is no war.

With the widely expected resignation of Ong Tee Keat as MCA's president and the already vacant deputy president position, a floodgate is now opened for all ambitious members of MCA to grab the spoils of the recent EGM.

How wide the floodgate of opportunities will depends on the following scenario.

1. The Central Committee resigns en masse and calls for new election.

This may be the most remote of all possibilities as the risks are too high to be taken especially for those that are alligned or friendly to Ong Tee Keat. This move will be most welcome by Chua Soi Lek and his cohorts as it will be an opportunity to pave the way for him and his people to take a shot to control the party leadership. If it happens, expects an all out fight between the two feuding factions and participation of the third force which so far have not shown the hidden hand behind it. Some old faces and old horses are expected to jump into the band wagon and fight another round for political supremacy.

Who knows Chua Soi Lek might just try his luck and give a shot for the presidency since he knows very well he had at least half of the delegates firmly in his hand who don't mind his sexual indiscretion. With a little bit of manouvering, he might just convinced another 50 third force fence sitters to vote for him. If that happens, his sexual indiscretion will be Najib's problem,  not MCA's nor the Chinese community since only Najib can decide whether to accept an adulterous component leader sitting with him in the Cabinet.

2. Ong Tee Keat resigns and his appointees follow suits.

The president has the right to appoint a number of members in the central committee includes the Secretary General, Treasurer General, Organising Secretary and eight committee members. When he resigns, those appointed by him are obliged to follow suit which will create a long list of vacancies. Assuming two vice presidents, namely Kong Cho Ha and Liow Tiong Lai took over the top two posts, two vacancies will be available in the vice president position.

This situation is similiar to the situation in 2003 when Ling Liong Sik of Team A and Lim Ah Lek of Team B resigns simultaneously as president and deputy president in a peace plan between Team A and Team B. Their vacated positions were filled by then vice presidents Ong Ka Ting and Chan Kong Choy who is from Team A and Team B respectively. The two vacated vice president positions were given to Tan Chai Ho (Team A) and Fu Ah Kiow (Team B). The then Secretary General Ting Chew Peh (Team A) was retained by Ong Ka Ting as goodwill gesture until 2005 when he was replaced by Ka Ting's brother Ong Kah Chuan (Team A) after the party election.

Will Tan Chai Ho and Loh Seng Kok who were the main EGM coordinators for Chua Soi Lek's camp given any senior positions representing the reborn Team A? If the horse trading is based on the 2003 formula, Chai Ho most probably will be rewarded with a VP position while Seng Kok might be in the run for the Organising Secretary or even the Secretary General position if Kong Cho Ha is appointed president for their service to Soi Lek's block. Seng Kok was formerly the MCA Youth Joint Secretary General with Tiong Lai under Youth Chief Ong Tee Keat after the peace plan in 2003.

If Tiong Lai is appointed president, there is no way Seng Kok will be appointed Sec-Gen as trust is wanting in between them even though they were the best of pals during their early days in MCA and as student leaders in UKM. They went separate ways when battle starts between Team A and Team B which was lead by their political mentors Ling Liong Sik and Lim Ah Lek. Both were former political secretaries to their mentors.

Another Chua is expected to be appointed to the Central Committee if those appointed by Tee Keat resigns. He is non other than the son of Chua Soi Lek and MP for Labis Chua Tee Yong.

3. Only Ong Tee Keat resigns

The changes of guard will only affect any two of the four vice presidents but no one should expect the changes to be anything but smooth. Basing on the top two votes secured by Kong Cho Ha and Liow Tiong Lai, it is logical for both of them to climb the party hierachy but the political ambition of Ng Yen Yen should not be discounted. It can be observed that in the run up to the EGM, Ng Yen Yen was clearly non-committal on her support for Ong Tee Keat and also avoids from commenting on Chua Soi Lek's sex acandal even though she was one time the Minister for Family Development and MCA Wanita Chief. It won't be a surprise if efforts is under ways to appoints her as the deputy president. This is the best return from the spoils of the EGM for a politician who has been distancing herself from the decisions of the Presidential Council and also the Central Committee.

4. Ong Tee Keat stays as President

First of all, the MCA Constitution does not requires Ong Tee Keat to resign. In politics everything is possible and the unthinkable can happen. The Central Committee might be successful in convincing Ong Tee Keat to stay on at least until the end of his term and go on leave from his party duty but retain his Transport Minister position. Tee Keat still have unfinished business in sorting out the PKFZ debacle which the public have high expectation for all perpetrators to be hauled up and charged in the court of law. If this happens, either Kong Cho Ha or Liow Tiong Lai will be appointed to fill the vacant deputy president position.

Tee Keat may be a lame duck president but as a minister that starts the ball rolling in cleaning up PKFZ, he must honour his duty to the 27 million Malaysians by leaving no stones unturn in search of the truth behind the fiasco. If he can provide justice and truth to the people, not just MCA members, he will be remembered as a statesman who dares to walk the talk and the courage to face challenges from all corners for the sake of the people. As a man of principle, he may want to be responsible for his leadership in MCA by taking the no confidence vote on  the presidency personally but then he has a bigger responsibility to the people of Malaysia.

He must at least fight for the last one round. Not for him. Not for his central committee. Not for MCA and surely not for BN. But for all Malaysians who uphold the principle of good governance in their beloved nation.

Even if he is down, he can give us a favor to fight this final round as a fellow Malaysian. - Loka