Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek - Amazing comeback

2 years ago, on 2nd January 2008, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was forced to resign in disgrace as Malaysian Health Minister as well as MCA vice president after lewd VCDs purpotedly showing him and a young woman, making love in a hotel room, were widely distributed.

Dr Chua also did not defend his Labis Parliamentary Constituency at the March 2008 general election.

When everybody thought Dr Chua Soi Lek career was eternally gone, he instead made an amazing comeback today, Sunday, 28th March 2010, by winning the MCA Presidency in a 3cornered fight. The famous victory is seen as sweeter for him and his supporters because Dr Chua defeated the incumbent MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat who is also the Malaysian Transport Minister.

Ong Tee Keat was the person who sacked Chua Soi Lek who was then MCA Deputy President, last year.

MCA is regarded as the 2nd biggest component party of the ruling Barisan Nasional, BN coalition. The BN government has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957.

Therefore, the MCA President is the 3rd most powerful man in Malaysia behind the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, both from UMNO - the biggest BN component party.

In the 3 cornered fight, Ong Tee Keat only managed to garner 578 votes to finish third and last. In 2nd place and 225 votes higher than Ong Tee Keat was another former MCA President, Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting who received 833 votes. Chua Soi Lek was the man of the moment, polling the highest number of votes - 901 votes.

Contest for the MCA Presidency, March 28, 2010 (Sunday - Kuala Lumpur)
1. Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek - 901 votes
2. Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting - 833 votes (former MCA President)
3. Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat - 578 votes. (incumbent MCA President)


Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (Left) and Dr Chua Soi Lek celebrating their victories.


For the post of MCA no.2 or Deputy President, Health Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai won over Housing and Local Government Minister, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha. Liow received 1,171 votes to Kong Cho Ha’s 1,106 votes.

Meanwhile the 64 year old but youthful looking Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen garnered the highest number of votes (1528 votes) to be re-elected as MCA Vice President. Ng Yen Yen was the sole woman candidate for the post. 3 other Vice Presidents elected are Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai (1469 votes), Datuk Chor Chee Heung (1202 votes ) and a newcomer Gan Ping Sieu who polled similar 1202 votes.

The MCA elections results mean only 3 things - the imminent reshuffling of federal cabinet ministers portfolios, the amazing comeback by Chua Soi Lek and the fall of Ong Tee Keat.

There will be no more Ong Tee Keat and Kong Cho Ha in the list of Malaysian federal cabinet ministers.

Ong Tee Keat has to vacate his position as Malaysia's Transport Minister. The same goes to Kong Cho Ha who have to relinquish his post as Malaysia's Housing and Local Government Minister.

As the new MCA President, Dr Chua is expected to be appointed as senior minister in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak's cabinet lineup, either as Transport Minister or back to his old portfolio as Health Minister, currently held by his Deputy President, Liow Tiong Lai.

As the new MCA Deputy President, Liow Tiong Lai is 100 % assured of his cabinet post. He can remain as Health Minister or move to the Housing and Local Government ministry, which is expected to be gentlemanly vacated by Kong Cho Ha.

Meanwhile, immediately after the polls results, Dr Chua Soi Lek says he would be “inclusive” and practise collective leadership as the new party president.

However, based on the number of votes received by Chua Soi Lek, the polls result for the MCA Presidency showed that Chua Soi Lek did not get the majority supports of the delegates.

Look, Ong Ka Ting (833 votes) combined with Ong Tee Keat (578 Votes) means 1,411 delegates did not vote for Chua Soi Lek.

Infact Chua Soi Lek 901 votes meant that he only garnered 38.97 % support while 61.03 % supported Ong Ka Ting and Ong Tee Keat combined.

Does this means that there are turbulence ahead for Chua Soi Lek while discharging his duties as the MCA boss to unite and strenghten the party?

However Chua Soi Lek is assured of co-operation from his newly elected MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

Immediately after the party election, Tiong Lai said he is prepared to work with the new MCA president.

Liow said now that the party election was over, it was time to get to work on uniting a fractious MCA.

“I am happy that we have had this election so we can resolve the party crisis,” Liow told reporters upon hearing of the party election results.

Liow said he respected the decision of the delegates in electing Dr Chua president.

“We will work together to unite the party.

“I can work with Dr Chua and I will play my role as deputy president to the best of my ability.

“From now on, let’s work together for the future of the party and ensure it is stable and united,” he said.

Liow said as party leaders, both he and Dr Chua shared the same commitment to serve the rakyat (people) and country.

He denied talk that delegates did not give their votes to former president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting to make him president to break up their “camp”.

“From the start, there has never been in a ‘team’ or ‘camp’.

“We only worked together as we shared the same ideology and views on how to unite the party but there was no ‘camp’,” he said.

Liow, who is Health Minister, defeated Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, who was also, like Liow, a vice-president in the previous committee.

Full list of the newly elected MCA office bearers after the March 28, 2010 party elections, held in Kuala Lumpur.

PRESIDENT
1. Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek - 901 votes

DEPUTY PRESIDENT
1. Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai - 1,171 votes

VICE PRESIDENT
1. Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen (1,528 votes)
2. Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai (1,469)
3. Datuk Chor Chee Heung (1,202)
4. Gan Ping Sieu (1,202)

CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS (CC) - 25 Positions
1. Datuk Lee Chee Leong (1,430 votes)
2. Dr Hou Kok Chung (1,312)
3. Senator Heng Seai Kie (1,267)
4. Datuk Wee Jeck Seng (1,175)
5. Toh Chin Yaw (1,142)
6. Tee Siew Kiong (1,141)
7. Datuk Gan Tian Loo (1,117)
8. Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho (1,114)
9. Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan (1,104)
10. Lee Wei Kiat (1,100)
11. Loh Seng Kok (1,086)
12. Hoh Khai Mun (1,077)
13. Datuk Liew Yuen Keong (1,059)
14. Tan Cheng Liang (1,054)
15. Koh Nai Kwong (1,040)
16. Dr Por Choo Chor (1,037)
17. Tan Ken Ten (999)
18. Kong Sing Chu (981)
19. Datuk Chong Itt Chew (975)
20. Yoo Wei How (974)
21. Tan Ah Eng (969)
22. Wong Koon Mun (953)
23. Datuk Ti Lian Ker (929)
24. Teh Kim Poo (864)
25. Chuah Poh Khiang (851)

Chronology of events.

7.00pm: Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is the new MCA president.

6.30pm: Incumbent MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat arrives at Wisma MCA to await the election results.

6pm: Candidates start arriving at Wisma MCA. Presidential candidate Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting arrives with deputy president hopeful Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai arrive at about 6.10pm.

5.45pm: There is a tie for the 25th Central Committee post (only 25 seats are available). Gan Hong Su and Datuk Alex Chuah Poh Khiang are called to the stage. They ask for a recount.

5.15pm: MCA delegates file back into Wisma MCA to await election results.

Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen arrives at the party Hq to say thanks to her supporters, an indication that she may have won her bid for a vice-president’s post.

5.10pm: Vote-counting for vice-president posts ends, counting for the deputy president post begins. Some scrutineers also start counting votes for the keenly contested three-way fight for the president’s post.

Some candidates for the 25 Central Committee posts are seen shaking hands with their supporters, who applaud, shortly after CC vote-count completed. There were 86 candidates who contested for the posts.

4.30pm: Vote-counting for Central Committee members end. Tallying for the four vice-presidential posts begins.

3.40pm: Scores of supporters are at the second and third floors of Wisma MCA witnessing the counting inside Dewan San Choon via live telecast. The crowd is expected to grow as results time draws near.

2.00pm: Votes counting begins.

1.50pm: 2,315 ballot papers were given out. This means that three delegates out of the 2,318 who registered did not collect the ballot papers. The ballot papers are now being given out to the scrutineers

1.30pm: Ong Tee Keat and his team leave Nikko Hotel. He is limping, not fully recovered from his Achilles' heels operation. He has skipped physiotherapy for two weeks.

1.25pm: Ballot boxes being opened and the ballot papers being separated by MCA staff

1.20pm: MCA administration chief Lim Chin Hai says scrutineers have been divided into 24 groups. They are not allowed to leave the hall until counting ends. The counting will start with central committee posts. The tally for the president’s post will be the last one.

1.15pm: Yik goes up to the stage

1.00pm: Scrutineers asked to put their handphones in envelopes. MCA staff will hold the handphones for them until counting ends.

12.40pm: Chua Soi Lek, Loh Seng Kok, Tee Siew Keong and Chong Itt Chew leave Nikko Hotel after lunch. Kong Cho Ha has just left. Donald Lim is still in the hotel. So are Ong Tee Keat and his people.

12.30pm: EGM is adjourned.

12.15pm: Voting process ends. The ballot boxes are being sealed. Counting to begin after 1pm.

12.05pm: Central delegates have finished voting. Now the scrutineers, who are also central delegates, are voting.

11.30am: Ka Ting says MCA elections are smooth and orderly and that he is happy with the delegates’ turnout. He says it shows that all delegates value unity and harmony.

11.10am: Ka Ting leaves the hall after casting his vote. He will return after the tally to hear the results later today.

10.31am: Voting begins.

10.30am: Registration ends. 2,318 (97.52%) out of 2,377 central delegates have registered.

10.08am: Yik calls party general assembly to order. Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon appointed Chief Scrutineer by the election steering committee. There are 48 scrutineers.

10.06am: Yik said 2,316 (97.43%) out of 2,377 central delegates had registered to vote by 10am.

10.05am: Media asked to leave the voting hall. Speaker Datuk Yik Phooi Hong takes the stage to start the EGM and polls.

10.00am: Central delegates taking their seats.

source - bernama online, the star online, nstp online