themalaysianinsider
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said today that Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun will not be missed, after she quit as the party’s Wanita chief.
Dr Chua explained that it was normal for leaders to “come and go” in a democracy.
“I would like to thank her for her contribution to the party. MCA practises democracy and leaders can come and go but the party’s agenda will continue,” he told reporters at party headquarters.
The Wanita MCA chief resigned from her party posts yesterday, which included her post as wing chairman, Wanita MCA Selangor chairman, and the party’s Crisis Relief Squad chief.
It also means that she will relinquish her post as a senator and as the Deputy Minister of the Women, Family and Community Development.
Dr Chua said Chew’s resignation would not be a setback to his leadership.
“We have one million members ... this is will not affect the image of my leadership,” he said.
Chew made a pledge in Parliament in November last year, during the peak of the party crisis, declaring that she would resign if Dr Chua were to become party president.
Her words were not forgotten and when Dr Chua cruised to a win during the March 28 party polls, her words came back to haunt her.
Chew, however, decided to stick to her guns and, after a short meeting yesterday, resigned as she had promised to, despite pleas from her central committee members.
In apparent reference to Chew, Dr Chua said the he was powerless if certain leaders refused to accept the results of the recent party poll.
“I am confident that the newly election committee members know their responsibility. Their responsibility is to unite members, stabilise the party and strengthen the organisation so that we can face the coming election. If there are leaders that cannot respect the decision made by the delegates then we cannot do anything,” he said.
The former health minister clinched the top post in the party when he polled 901 votes against former president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting’s 833 votes, and incumbent Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat’s 578.
Despite the slim vote majority, Dr Chua’s victory clearly shows — for the second time — that the party’s over 2,000 central delegates have long forgiven him for his past mistakes.
Dr Chua was once sacked from the party over his involvement in a 2007 sex scandal.
He also said that leaders should set aside their individual grouses and pull together for the sake of the party.
“I, as a leader, practise the principle of ‘open doors’ where anybody can meet me, and not only the supporters of certain leaders. They say that Datuk Dr Wee (Ka Siong) is not my supporter but in the matter of solving the party’s problem, we have the same goal. That is important.
“If you have a different opinion and you are not willing to co-operate due to [a] difference of opinions then I feel the leader will not achieve success. What is important is the party’s goal. You can have your own opinions but that should not be an issue even if he is from a different faction,” said Dr Chua, with an uncomfortable-looking Wee seated beside him.
The remarks seemed directed at his deputy, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who clashed with Dr Chua over the appointment of the party’s state chairmen.
Liow had always been vocal in his disapproval of Dr Chua, and was one of the leaders who backed former president Tee Keat during a row over Dr Chua’s sacking.
In fact, prior to his election as deputy president, Liow had conveyed the message that he could not work with Dr Chua.
During the party poll on March 28, Liow had thrown his support behind Dr Chua’s biggest contender, former party president Ka Ting
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