MCA top leadership should not make Ong Tee Kiat the first victim of “black gold” politics for “whistle-blowing” but should offer full co-operation to the highest-level police investigation to root out the Taiwan political curseMedia Conference Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang (Penang, Wednesday): It would appear that the top MCA mainstream leaders are paving the way to take disciplinary action against the MCA Youth leader, Ong Tee Kiat, for his expose of “black gold” politics in MCA. The MCA top leadership should not make Ong Tee Kiat the first victim of “black gold” politics for being the “whistleblower” of the fusion of organized crime and money politics but should instead offer the fullest co-operation to the highest-level police investigation to root out the Taiwan political curse.
The MCA Presidential Council must resist the temptation to shut up Ong Tee Kiat by taking disciplinary action against him, whether by suspension or expulsion, on the ground that he had brought “dishonour” to MCA with his allegation and his refusal to substantiate it.
Ong’s allegation is very serious and must be substantiated, but the MCA Presidential Council must fully sympathise with Ong’s predicament when he said he is not prepared to name names or furnish the evidence to party leaders as he did not know what would happen to him if he did so.
Furthermore, as what is at stake from Ong’s expose of “black gold” politics is not just the integrity of MCA politics, but the good name of the entire Malaysian political system, the MCA leadership must prove that they are nationalistic and patriotic enough to put national interests above party interests.
For this reason, the MCA leaders must demonstrate their readiness to subordinate party interests to higher national interests of safeguarding the integrity of the national political system by handing over the entire investigation of the “black gold” politics to the police.
The MCA Presidential Council should formally write to the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai, with such an offer.
(12/3/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman |