Speech by Lim Kit Siang at the DAP Selangor-USJ East Branch Chinese New Year Dinner at the Summit Subang USJ on Saturday, 13^th March 2010 at 10 pm: 

Four MCA Ministers and seven deputy ministers should take collective official leave for next fortnight to concentrate on their party tussle in the run-up to the fresh MCA party elections on March 28

Yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak called for a solution to the MCA crisis so that the party can emerge as a credible force to represent the Chinese community and country.

MCA has become a pale shadow from the days of its founding fathers led by Tun Tan Cheng Lock more than half a century ago, when MCA could be said to be on an equal footing with Umno in the Alliance.

Today, MCA has been reduced to such a pathetic status that despite having four Ministers and seven Deputy Ministers, MCA does not even have the weight and leverage in the Barisan Nasional of an outsider and Johnny-come-lately organization like Perkasa and Ibrahim Ali!

When Umno proposed at the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting last month to scrap the rule of unanimity and to amend the BN constitution to allow direct membership of NGOs, individuals and other political parties, MCA leaders dare not even object although they know that their status in Barisan Nasional will be reduced to that of Ibrahim Ali or even lower, whether Perkasa is eventually admitted into the BN or not.

The “Three Kingdoms” battle in MCA has nothing to do with the rights. Interests and future whether of the Chinese community or the Malaysian nation but the political stakes of the different MCA factions.

The four MCA Ministers, Datuk Seri Ong Tee (Transport), Datuk Seri Kang Cho Ha (Housing and Local Government), Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (Health) and Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen (Tourism) and the seven MCA deputy ministers should take collective official leave for next fortnight to concentrate on their party tussle in the run-up to the fresh MCA party elections on March 28 so that their official tasks are not neglected or adversely affected.

The Prime Minister should suggest to the four MCA Ministers and seven Deputy Ministers to take collective leave for a fortnight to focus on their “life-and-death” political battle in the MCA which will decide whether they will continue as Minister or Deputy Minister concerned, or even get promoted from Deputy Minister to Minister.

If the eleven refuse to take collective leave, then the Prime Minister should exercise his prerogative and direct them to go on leave and appoint four acting Ministers and seven acting deputy ministers to carry out their Cabinet responsibilities for the next fortnight.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor