Sunday, October 19, 2008

Soi Lek -The Comeback Kid


He has been written off as politically dead but Chua Soi Lek has staged a dramatic, if not, stunning comeback, as the MCA deputy president. The outspoken politician, who was left out of the March 8 polls, understood what the delegates wanted in the post-political tsunami period - they wanted MCA leaders who dare to speak up. Soi Lek fitted that image as an eloquent, outspoken and upfront leader. While the sex DVD issue continued to haunt him during the campaign, the constant appearance of his wife and MP son with him must have helped remove the doubts of delegates. After all, if his family had forgiven him, it was time to move on. He had also admitted his mistake. But public perception is also important although the delegates have picked him. Now, his task would be to prove to Malaysians that he can live up to their expectations and to put the past behind. Likewise, it would not be easy for the equally outspoken Tee Keat, the new MCA president. Making demands is one thing but the question remains whether they would be accomodated. Or they remain just as demands. There were snubs from several key Umno politicians after the general assembly. Repealing the ISA? No way. Dominating Umno? Who says so. Even the request for the unassuming, if not unimportant, BN Youth deputy chairman post by Liow Tiong Lai was met with reservations and questions from some Umno leaders. Even the usually level-headed Shahrir Samad questioned the need for such a post. At least Pak Lah and Hishamuddin Hussein Onn had the decency to say the request would be discussed.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hidup Chua Soi Lek.Anda memang hebat ! Tahnniah....

Anonymous said...

Hi wong,

My feeling will be if the top leader didn't the bottom will never change the chinese saying please pardom my spelling
(sung liang pu chen xia liang wy)

Anonymous said...

MCA delegates have sent the wrong signal that it is all right to elect someone like Chua Soi Lek tainted with a sex scandal so long as he publicly admits it. There are likely to be CSL types leader aspirants in MCA. It would appear that the MCA delegates prefer CSL as a lesser evil to the likes of Ong Ka Chuan. In any case I don't think Ong Tee Keat and CSL can do much for MCA with tough racist UMNO leaders like Muhyiddin and Najib, with the king of all UMNO racists Mahathir looming in the background. MCA is just wasting its time in BN if OTK and CSL think they can swing Najib and Muhyiddin round to take a more moderate stance. MCA will fade into political oblivion after the next GE unless it quits BN and joins PR

Anonymous said...

Who MCA, why MCA, what for MCA??? Already the party is losing its relevance for the Chinese it purports to champion. It's already bad enough without the tai-ko in the BN discrediting it further by dismissing its requests for a more equitable place under the Malaysian sun. After 50 years of independence, the Chinese are still lamenting their second class status. 50 years from now, will it be the same? That the new MCA president has found the voice of the people, is commendable. Late as it may be, let's all hope that it is the first small step that will start the country on a whole new journey. Let's hope that the sense, sensibility and largesse will prevail. Most of all, let us pray for peace.

BlueMoon said...

I hope the combined force of Tee Kiat and Soi Lek would take MCA and BN to next level. They must know how to speak for all Malaysian instead of becoming the chinese messengers only. Tee Kiat in particular must not repeat the blunders made by Ka Ting no matter how valid the reasons are. Some issues are so sensitive that these are to be dealt behind four closed walls only. The reciprocation from BN components are almost instantaneous if these sensitivities are not handled properly. For instance the PBB today has strongly objected the demand made by Ka Ting that the BN Deputy Presidentship be reserved to MCA. Perhaps tomorrow MIC would request the same post be given to the indian. Sabah PBS on the other hand would demand that the post be given to Kadazan, Murut, Iban, Penan, etc. Not mention UMNO which is now having AGM around the clock. The list goes on and on. I'm sure many malaysians would like to see the new MCA move away from race based politics. Both Tee Kiat and Soil lek can make this happens.

Anonymous said...

Dr Chua has committed adultery, so what! To err is human. Afterall, he is human. We should draw a line, his personal life should remain private. It is his performance now a DP of MCA should be judged. The very fact he was brought back to the fold was the grass root members are unhappy with the situation that the party is in. No more cherry picking. The in coming President and him have one shot to reform the party, fight for the rights of the Chinese community.The challenge is great. Failure will put MCA into the rubbish bin of history. This undertaking is on their shoulders...do the talking and walk!

Anonymous said...

MCA leaders are either showing blind loyalty to UMNO, or just taking care of themselves, or just plain don't know what to do next. It is very clear that UMNO will continue to be a big bully, and MCA can whine all it wants and UMNO will not give two hoots about it. So what's next, MCA???? Why not just give UMNO the finger and move over to PR, and helo to rebuild this country. I am sure many of you have heard about the boiling frog story. UMNO was slow boiling MCA, so MCA the frog just kept staying in the pot, even as the temperature goes up a bit at a time, and it is heading towards boiling point and MCA will die if it does not jump out of the pot.

Unknown said...

Dear Wong,

Well said. Put the past behind. Time to move on.

I think Chua deserved to win. He is bold, smart, experienced and has performed well as the health minister then.

The chinese need a leader like him during this trying times.

I wish him well and hope that he will be appointed as a minister.

Samuel Goh Kim Eng said...

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating"
Now we have two brand new puddings to be eaten
Let's hope both puddings are edible without too much heating
And can be strengthened without being easily beaten

(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 191008
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Sun. 19th Oct. 2008.

Anonymous said...

To the new MCA leaders, I am sure you have seen that UMNO have given the middle finger to your ecent proposals. So that is not a good start. I suggest MCA return the middle finger to UMNO, and pull out of BN. You cannot change a really bad situation a little at a time. And you cannot convince a dictator to give up a little power by behaving like a lttle servant. You got to give it a jolt. Yes, get out of BN and give UMNO that jolt it deserves. MCA can give the cross-over a head start and encourage the rest to join the cross-over. Don't continue to play the servant role to UMNO. Have some dignity. I hope OngTK will not be like Dr KTK, a real wimp.

Anonymous said...

The idea that leaders are supposed to be squeaky clean is reasonable and logical. Tainted leaders are easy prey for political black mail and might compromise their office and responsibility. Are we so lacking in credible leaders that we grab leaders who only partially fulfill the entire list of leadership virtue and character? And to think this happens to nearly all the governing coalition party, having clearly tainted people who call themselves leaders! Sad and pathetic!

Anonymous said...

With all the grassroot backing, hopefully Tee Keat and Soi Lek will stand firm, not only for the sake of MCA but Malaysians of all races
Surely both of them are aware what Najib said on his manifesto for UMNO presidency. Rather scary and unprecedented kind of warning.
Are both of you comfortable with that. Speak up!!!

Anonymous said...

u guys better get a grip man.
i would rather vote for Ka Ting than tainted Soi Lek.
tak malu.
congratulations on continuing down the suicide path, MCA.
shouldn't soi lek be expelled from the party?

Anonymous said...

status quo..MCA gets nothing. UMNO thinks the country belong to the select group of warlords.

All these demands by the OTK team are sandiwara for the MCA members.

Cynical? Too long as servant to UMNO..even if you give the DPM post to MCA is like giving flowers to a monkey.

Anonymous said...

Umno can never change. Why change the status quo which oils the wheels of their leaders so well? Umno has gotten so arrogant now that it will never want to be perceived as weak by giving in to even the slightest demands from MCA. The stronger the leaders of MCA, the more hardlined Umno will become. As long as MCA continues to be in BN and be a minion of Umno, it will continue to lose the support of the Chinese. To prove it, just put any MCA candidate, even Tee Kiat or Soi Lek, in a Chinese dominant constituency to contest against a candidate from DAP and see the result. This is the situation which MCA leaders know but can't do much to change. For 50+ years, MCA in BN has not been successful in bringing about reforms the people want, let alone checking the excesses of Umno politicians. The best course it should take is to leave the coalition. But will it ever take this course? No, if what its leaders want more is a lucrative position in the Government.

Anonymous said...

All the MCA leaders talk cock & bull. What's the use of passing party resolutions against ISA etc, but yet where it counts in parliment, the MCA dare not speak out and dare not side with the Opposition to vote against the ISA. Until we see MCA walk the talk in parliment, we do not believe in all this party election huffpuffing. We have seen this for decades. So MCA, show us whether you are still the same taufu, or whether you have got your balls back.

Anonymous said...

I don't give an F whether Soi Lek was in bed with some women. That is his personal life. What I want to see is whether he is a real MAN in parliment and in a face off with UMNO. Does he have the courage to ask UMNO in parliment to take the ISA and shove it up their ass? Does he have the manhood to question the UMNO ministers in parliment about their fishy contracts? Does he have the balls to ask the BN "party whip" to take a hike and be able to vote according to his own conscience? That is what counts, not whether he likes to have some fun with women. We want a rep to fight for our rights in parliment, not a blady boy scout or a monk.