Press Digest: Dong Zong faction one step closer to victory

PETALING JAYA: The faction in Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) which is fighting to oust the top two leaders is one step closer to winning the battle.
It took control of two more Dong Lian Hui (DLH) or state affiliates following their elections on Sunday, bringing the total to nine, out of 13.
Candidates aligned with Dong Zong secretary-general Poh Chin Chuan, whose faction is at loggerheads with president Yap Sin Tian and deputy president Chow Siew Hon, made a clean sweep in the polls in Perak and Pahang, the Chinese press reported today.
In George Town, the Penang Dong Lian Hui passed a resolution at its annual general meeting to support Poh’s call for Dong Zong to dissolve its central committee and hold re-election.
The only saving grace on Sunday for the Yap-Chow faction was when it won a proxy fight of sorts with Poh in Negri Sembilan.
The Negri Sembilan DLH’s central committee meeting over-ruled two resolutions passed at its AGM on April 26, one of which calls for the dissolution of its CC to make way for re-election.
However, an inside source told Nanyang Siang Pau that it is just a matter of time that the Yap-Chow faction loses control of the Negri Sembilan DLH.
With the latest development, Poh’s faction is now in control of the DLH of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Penang, Perak, Pahang, Malacca, Johor and Sarawak.
This means Poh’s faction has 17 elected members in Dong Zong’s CC, out of a total of 25, putting Yap at a disadvantage with only 15 CC members (eight elected and seven appointed by Yap).
According to a report in Sin Chew Daily, the Yap-Chow faction will be doomed should Poh succeed in holding the extraordinary general meeting he called for next month.
Yap had said he would seek a court order to stop the EGM from being held.