Rotting Fish Head Soliloquy Of Love In His Heart

The MCA president, Dato' Seri Ling Liong Sik, bears no ill-will towards anyone. He cannot afford to. By having the MCA takeover Nanyang Press without the usual due diligence checks -- not the balance sheet alone -- he annoyed the Chinese community. When EGM confirmed this annoyance, he could not sack from the party his deputy, Dato' Lim Ah Lek, and his seven supporters in the central committee. The Nanyang Press fiasco came in hand for those who wanted him to leave. He would not. He has come to enjoy the good life of a cabinet minister and as president of a coalition partner, with near dictatorial powers. He was not prepared to give up these perks because he has become, in his expressive phrase, a rotting fish head.

So, he puts on a brave face. "I have no hatred. I must also confess that in all my years (as a politician), I have learnt not to get angry with people, but only have love in my heart for all members and friends. Unless you can have that kind of attitude you are not going to get back the same response. If you have hatred in your heart, people will know and hate you back." This, you understand, is his response for the debacle he presided over last week.

Unlike Gandhi, to whom he obviously wants to model himself, he accuses his enemies. They were the rascals who make his life difficult by filing court actions at inconvenient times, like just before important party conventions and EGMs, to show him to be a greedy, conniving politician who used his office to enrich his family and embark his son on a business career. He would have sued these reprobates for hundreds of hundreds of millions of ringgit, but the judiciary is not inclined to accept his word that he is a man of impeccable character. So, he is reduced to offering love instead.

He knows, of course, who is behind this, is sorry he is subject to such calumny by "certain" quarters. "All sorts of things have been said, all sorts of lies. Even some outsiders have been trying to throw in some court cases ... Before an AGM or EGM, I always get these cases. It is becoming suspicious." He does not know who is behind the smear campaign but "I must declare to you all that I won't say a single bad word to anybody, because it's not worth it. There is no point hurting other people's feelings. Let us work together, towards unity, towards togetherness, and a 100% MCA."

It is no doubt in this spirit of forgiveness he has filed a RM200 million defamation suit against those who want to besmirch his name. He is right on course. He only promises to forgive, but there is nothing like money to assuage one's conscience, as the lawyer for an international business man of unequestioned repute insisted in court. What is even more remarkable is he managed this conference without once mentioning Nanyang Press. He alluded to it. "I really believe we must have a 100% party. We have just gone through the total political process, the presidential committee, the central committee and the EGM, and that is the total democratic process."

He does not explain what a "100% MCA" means. Does he mean a party without the Gang of 8 as its conscience? Does he mean a party which should expel any who questions his motives? Does he mean a party which does not want a president who would rather follow the UMNO president's orders than his own community's? Does he mean a party so docile and irrelevant that only a rotting fish head can lead it?

However he sees it, nothing would emerge until the Nanyang Press issue is resolved. The MCA must divest the majority of its shares as quickly as possible. If it insists that it would be to those who would ensure it would be an MCA-controlled newspapers, nothing would change. All told, Dr Ling bet the MCA against the Chinese community and lost. His personal state of mind has nothing to do with it.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@mgg.pc.my