Delegates to determine MCA's future

PETALING JAYA: With the contest for the MCA top post almost certain to be a two-horse race, the question now is whether party delegates would opt to give the mandate to its sole voice in Parliament or pick a reformist in response to calls for a total revamp of the leadership.
There are two schools of thought in the party: those who believe that Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong should be given more bite, versus those who think that an all-new leadership should lead the party to carry out reforms after its rout in the 14th general election.
Wee's proponents argue that should he lose the presidential race, he would be rendered ineffective if he has to revert to the president for the party's stand every time he wants to open his mouth in Parliament on policy matters.
His detractors, however, believe that MCA needs a complete change in leadership and do not want the party to carry old baggage and be attacked again over 1MDB in the next general election.
They also felt that Wee should be held responsible for the party's defeat in the last polls.
According to a report in Sin Chew Daily today, although both Wee and his opponent, Kluang division chief Gan Ping Sieu, are from Johor, neither of them has the clear advantage in the party's power base at the moment.
Their support rate in the southern state has been fluctuating like share prices in the stock market.
Wee has Perak MCA chief Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon as his running mate whereas Gan has teamed up with Johor MCA deputy chief Datuk Tee Siew Kiong.
The report said delegates from the 26 divisions in Johor, who number more than 5,000, will not vote according to the team they are aligned with.
In fact some divisions give no indications whether they are aligned with Wee or Gan, and political watchers are still clueless whether the Wee-Mah pair or their opponents have the edge.
A source said some delegates will definitely vote based on the team they are aligned with but many will vote based on their perceptions of the candidates' capabilities and how they are going to steer the party in the years to come.
On the endorsement of Gan by former president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek, who is often seen alongside the candidate during his campaign rounds, party insiders believe it could be a double-edged sword.
They said while it will help Gan garner some votes from Chua's staunch supporters, it also give rises to the fear among some delegates that Gan would become Chua's proxy.