MCA disciplinary board clarifies en bloc resignation

2009/11/08

THE decision of the five-member MCA Disciplinary Board to resign en bloc on Nov 4, was not linked to the party's recently-announced Greater Unity Plan (GUP) or clarification of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) over the status of Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The decision to quit, former board secretary Ivan Chen said, was based purely on the "unwavering principles" of the board members.

"There was unhappiness over shortcomings in the party's current disciplinary due processes as its Presidential Council (PC) and the Central Committee (CC) could overrule the board's decision," he said in a statement here today.

As stated in the party constitution, the board could only recommend disciplinary action against party members and it is up to the party PC and CC to make the final decision. In Dr Chua's case, the board recommendation of sacking was commuted to a four-year suspension by the CC.

"Members of the board also made it crystal-clear that the shortcomings of the party's constitution are not the fault of the present party leadership. In fact, they inherited the deficiencies from the system.

"Hence, unless the relevant provisions in the MCA constitution were amended, members of the board were of the consensus view that the board would not be able to discharge its duties effectively. - Bernama