Thursday November 26, 2009

Ti: Fresh polls must cover all levels in MCA

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/26/nation/5187841&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: Fresh elections for the MCA must cover all levels including the Youth and Wanita wings, said central committee member Datuk Ti Lian Ker.

He said polls must also be held for the branches, divisions and the central committee so that there would be no confusion in their terms of office.

“According to the party constitution, the term of office for all positions will end by April 2011 but the central leadership will hold their posts until 2012 or 2013 with the fresh elections,” he said in a statement yesterday.

As such, he said a fresh election for just the central leadership might result in a non-parallel timeframe of the term of office for those holding positions.

Ti questioned the sincerity of Youth and Wanita chiefs Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun who wanted fresh elections for the main body only.

He said party members were questioning their principles as they were unwilling and not daring enough to face election at their own wing.

Ti also wrote on his blog yesterday to explain why the MCA Youth and Wanita must hold fresh elections simultaneously with its parent body.

The party, he said, could not afford to have the wings continue challenging party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat if Ong was given the mandate to continue leading the party.

“The wings’ chairmen are prime movers in the rebellion and they must also be held responsible for the political ruckus in the party,” he wrote on tilianker.blogspot.com.

He said it was only democratic that the entire party be overhauled via a fresh election.

“The Youth and Wanita leaders must put their leadership to the test as well.”

Ti said it was untenable under the present circumstances to allow the wings to remain status quo but force the president to have a fresh election.

Grassroots leaders, he said, had expressed the view that the party must be rejuvenated.

If a fresh election was called, Ti said the present leaders must respect the wishes of the central delegates who had voted for a direct election to be implemented immediately.

“This was a pledge made by the leaders during the last general assembly and supported by the central delegates,” he said.

Ti also slammed party vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai for being inconsistent.

“When the president proposed to dissolve the central committee to pave way for a fresh election, you (Liow) had objected and spoke in the name of the central committee to object to the president’s proposal.

“When you no longer command the support of the CC members, you shifted the goalpost to the central delegates. I was disappointed to see that you have disregarded party unity,” he said.