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BY FOONG PEK YEE and LEE YUK PENG
KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita MCA delegates were
torn between two sides when they arrived
at the party headquarters here for their
annual general meeting.
A group of Wanita leaders aligned to
Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun
were seen coaxing the delegates to go to
the restaurant opposite Wisma MCA to
have dim sum with Chew.
At a certain point, the coaxing turned
ugly. Some supporters of the opposing
camp saw the breakfast invitation as a
ploy to derail the AGM.
One delegate, Chong Sau Chan, put it
bluntly: "We put aside our household
chores to come here to discuss party
matters and not to have breakfast."
Most said being invited for breakfast
with the boss was certainly an honour
but not when the feuding factions were
out to put up a show of power.
Those aligned to Chew claimed that over
400 delegates " more than the350 who
registered for the AGM " joined her for
the almost three-hour breakfast that
started as early as7.30am but Chew's
detractors claimed the figure was
inflated and that some of them at the
breakfast were not delegates.
The start of the AGM inside the San
Choon Hall in Wisma MCA was no less
dramatic.
Speaker Ooi Siew Kim and deputy speaker
Lee Pit Chern kicked off the event at
9am by declaring that the AGM should be
adjourned.
The delegates jeered.
Wanita national organising secretary Tan
Cheng Liang - a tall and gutsy lady -
then grabbed the microphone and declared
that Ong Chong Swen, who is Kelana Jaya
MCA chairman, would be the replacement
Speaker.
During the AGM, several delegates and
central committee members criticised
party leaders for wanting to postpone
the AGM.
Ong also joined in the criticism until
she suddenly realised that she was
Speaker. "I am the Speaker. I should not
be talking so much," she said.
She adjourned the AGM at noon.
By then, the delegates were more relaxed
and posed happily for press
photographers before collecting their
lunch packets outside the hall. |
