Wednesday, 11 September 2013

I am not a dictator, says Soi Lek

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said he is not a “dictator” as accused by his deputy Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

In fact, he said he had always given Liow a platform to speak.

I can understand Liow’s mood. He may be angry because some decisions made were not in his favour.

People say some leaders show their quality in times of crisis.

Some are smiling while some become fierce, even though they have never been fierce before,” he said after chairing a presidential council meeting at Wisma MCA here yesterday.

On whether he would defend his president’s post, Dr Chua said: “I have never said I will seek re-election. It is the fear and speculation (that I will) which is unfounded,” he said.

Liow has already openly announced his desire to vie for the president’s post at the upcoming party elections.

On the call by 13 central committee (CC) members headed by Liow to have an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to reverse the decision to lift the suspension on Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, Dr Chua said there were technical issues which needed to be addressed by legal experts first.

He and Liow would consult their lawyers on the matter. Dr Chua said a decision would be made after the consultation.

The MCA presidential council had on June 20 suspended Tee, also the Pulai Sebatang assemblyman, from the party after he accepted the appointment as a Johor executive council member.

The acceptance was deemed inconsistent with the party’s decision not to accept any government post since its performance in the May 5 general election was worse than that of 2008.

However, the majority of CC members voted to lift the suspension on Sept 5 after Tee appealed and produced a letter from the Johor palace stating that his appointment was the Sultan’s decision.

On Monday, Liow and 13 CC members submitted a letter to party secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha asking for the EGM.

Kong said the decision to lift Tee’s suspension was based on the procedures for disciplinary cases as provided for under the party’s constitution.

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