| Ong Defends Changes, Chua Back As Johor MCA Chief |
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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has defended his decision to reshuffle the presidential council, saying he needed a team that was 100 per cent behind the party's "greater unity plan" (GUP) to restore the party in time for the general election.
"We can ill-afford to have leaders who are against the GUP - much less, those out to derail a plan which had received the blessings of the prime minister - to be in the MCA presidential council," he wrote on his blog Thursday.
The deepening crisis in the Barisan Nasional's second biggest component party prompted Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to announce today he would meet the rival leaders due to the worsening situation.
In his blog, Ong revealed that deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was back as the party's liaison chief for Johor, a post the latter relinquished early last year after his video sex scandal.
"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate his appointment as the new Johor MCA liaison committee chairman," said Ong who took over the post after Dr Chua.
Ong, however, did not indicate whether he had reshuffled the party chiefs for the other states.
On Wednesday, Ong replaced nine presidential council members aligned to vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, including Youth head Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong and Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.
The move was slammed by Liow while Wee and Chew's tearful reactions were frontpaged by several dailies.
Ong said the GUP which was endorsed by the party's central committee (CC) yesterday had to be implemented swiftly.
"With this, I need a team that is 100 per cent behind the effort to bring back unity to the MCA in time for the next general election.
"To achieve this, I had reshuffled some positions in the party and had included leaders with the right skill sets, experience and vision into rolling out the GUP, which had received two-thirds support from the CC," he said.
He said it was untrue that the Youth and Wanita wings were snubbed.
Wee and Chew could still sit in the presidential council as invited members to air their views, he said.
"In times like this, it is important that all party leaders set aside their differences for the sake of unity. The MCA cannot afford to lose any more time to win back support of the public in time for the next general election.
"This is why I can work with Dato' Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek despite our past differences," Ong added.
-- BERNAMA
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