New Straits Times, Malaysia 25th June 2001

By CHOW KUM HOR [email protected]

THE "jury" in the trial of MCA's controversial acquisition of Nanyang Press Holdings has finally delivered the verdict: There is no clear winner.

Although the party's extraordinary general meeting yesterday voted in favour of the deal, the 157-vote majority from the over 2,000 delegates is nothing to shout about.

Technically, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik is right in saying that a victory, no matter how slim, is still a victory.But if the technical victory marks the beginning of the official split in the second-largest component party in Barisan Nasional, the victory is merely Pyrrhic.

There is also the question of how the deal, which has received the blessings from MCA's highest body, will affect the so-called custodian of Chinese interests within the BN.

If the sentiments of the community expressed in the media is anything to go by, the sanctity of the Chinese Press should in no way be tainted by any political links.

While the party can promise that there will be no editorial interference, how convincing is the argument being put across will, to a certain extent, be reflected in the next general election, scheduled in 2004.

BN now can ill-afford a vote swing from the Chinese and its defeat in the Lunas by-election should serve as a warning.

Within MCA, the political ramifications are severe. If yesterday's voting is of any indication, the party is practically divided into two, not unlike the "Team A-Team B" rivalry of Umno in 1987.The Nanyang issue, after all, is only part of a larger political battle in the run-up to the party's triennial election next year.

For Dr Ling who claims to have the support of 80 per cent of the central committee members, the mere 53.3 per cent delegates who voted in favour of the deal, raises the question of whether the committee is nothing more than a rubber stamp.

One wonders if, or how many, of the 32 central committee members who voted in favour of the deal on May 30, voted otherwise in the secret ballot yesterday.

During the Press conference after the results were announced, Dr Ling dodged a reporter's question on whether he viewed the outcome as a threat to his leadership.

But what he could not dodge were jeers and shouts of "rotten fish head" by a few disgruntled members as he made his exit from Wisma MCA after the EGM.

And what Dr Ling must face are the possible challenges from within the party ahead of the MCA election.

With the momentum already built up, the dissenting camp within the party, led by deputy president Datuk Lim Ah Lek, may mount a challenge to the leadership through a motion of no confidence.

Already, there is talk that another EGM will be called - the third in the party's history if it takes place.

Dr Ling's camp can preempt this to consolidate his position by purging those on the opposite side of the political divide.

As sinister as it may sound, the list of Datukship recipients can be reviewed, as can terms of local councillors, senators and other public officials.

Such a strategy, however, may backfire and cause Dr Ling to lose more ground when he should be out wooing for support in the next party election.

Both camps have said a reconciliation is very much needed but whether it will remain rhetorical or put into action remains to be seen.

Observers are pessimistic that after a prolonged period of intense campaigning, name-calling and with the party polls barely months away, the opposing camps will kiss and make up.

After all, the bickering involving the party's acquisition of Nanyang Press Holdings is a leadership issue.

It is no coincidence that the two last speakers in the EGM yesterday were Dr Ling's protege Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and Lim's annointed-successor Datuk Chan Kong Choy.

For the sake of MCA, both parties need to come to the negotiating table and iron out their differences.

It will be an understatement to say that even that move does not involve any risks.

The last time the party's top two men got together to work out a "succession formula", it turned out to be a total failure, to say the least.

But until a better solution can be formulated and before the party faces its next election, both sides must come to terms for the betterment of MCA.