Wednesday March 17, 2010

Sec-gen: Two Wongs cannot contest

KUALA LUMPUR: Two former MCA central committee (CC) members Datuk Wong Mook Leong and Wong Nai Chee are not eligible to contest in the March 28 party election.
Article 38 of the party constitution clearly states that the CC members must be elected from the delegates to the general assembly, said party secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng.
"I sent a letter to Nai Chee stating that he is not eligible to contest as he is no longer a central delegate," Wong said when contacted yesterday.
Nai Chee last week sent a letter to Foon Meng wanting to ascertain his eligibility to contest after he and Mook Leong, a CC member since 1977, resigned together with 20 other CC members early this month.
Foon Meng said that Under Article 33 of the party constitution, those eligible to attend the general assembly are the incumbent CC members, central delegates, MPs and state assemblymen, state liaison committee chairmen and division chairmen.
"The two do not fall into any of these categories," he said.
However, former legal bureau chief Datuk Leong Tang Chong, at a press conference earlier, said the two were eligible to contest under Article 41 which stated that "nothing herein shall prevent the re-election of any ex-central committee members".
"Under Article 120.1, any party member can contest if he has been a member for three years or more," he said.
Leong advised the two to submit their forms on nomination day on March 22.
When contacted, Nai Chee insisted that he should not be denied the right to contest, arguing that he qualified under Article 41.
"However, rightly or wrongly, they have made up their mind. There is nothing much I can do," he said.
In Ipoh, three CC members from the Batu Gajah MCA division announced their candidacy for CC positions.
They are chairman Loh Koi Pin, deputy chairman Datuk Lee Kon Yin and adviser Datuk Chan Kam.
Separately, the Sungai Siput MCA division had declared its support for Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting to contest the president's post.
Division chief Huen Sai Bhoi, who held a press conference with 11 of the 14 central delegates from the division yesterday, said Ka Ting had a good track record as party president and had a good relationship with the Chinese community.
Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/17/nation/5875055&sec=nation
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Lessons to learn: Find out before resigning and do not take resignation lightly. Do not take individual feelings first.... 

Wonders..... 

So the two Wongs.... end of their political lives? Or as the Hujah (TV9 yesterday night 10.30pm), Ti Lian Ker openly said that Nai Chee was closely aligned with OKT - maybe OKT can be the savior!