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The phantom-member issue has spawned two major leadership crises in MCA in the past and is haunting the party again as it prepares for triennial party elections in October. By ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR, NEW STRAITS TIMES
THE ghosts are here, though the month-long Chinese Festival of Ghosts or the Feast for the Wandering Souls is not due until Aug 1. Phantom members are said to have emerged in 10 new branches of the Sungai Siput MCA division in Perak. Division deputy chief Lim Chee Ho is unhappy, accusing hidden hands using dirty tactics "to seize power in the division".
The division estimates that there are more than 700 "phantom" members in the new branches. Housewives, professionals and students have been allegedly lured into supplying copies of their MyKad and had their pictures taken, which were then submitted in application for party membership in 2006 and last year.
The housewives were told that their personal information was needed for insurance purposes for organised trips, while information on students could have been taken during school farewell parties.
At least 29 individuals had made sworn statements that they had never applied to become members. As a consequence, the division wants to freeze elections for the affected branches and divisions. (MCA branches are due to conduct elections beginning June 15, while the divisions will hold theirs from July 27.) The phantom members issue has caused major upheavals in the party in the past. Leaders were prompted to take measures to clear the membership roll since the last episode, which caused a major split between "Team A", led by former president Tun Ling Liong Sik, and "Team B", under Datuk Lim Ah Lek.
The party's constitution was amended, limiting the numbers of delegates from the branches to the annual general assembly, soon after Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting took over as party president in 2003.
The assistance of the National Registration Department was sought late last year to trace members above 80 who had died, and their names were subsequently struck off the roll.
"There could be many more (phantom members) in other divisions," says Datuk Thong Fah Chong, former Ipoh Timor MP and an active supporter of the Save MCA campaign.
(The campaign is also referred to as the "Topple the Ong Brothers" movement, referring to Ka Ting and his older brother Ka Chuan, the MCA secretary-general who is also Perak MCA chief and MP for Tanjung Malim.)
Thong says it is a violation of human rights for the 29 and there is nothing to stop them from taking their case to court as they are not bona fide members. However, party organising secretary Datuk Hon Choon Kim claims it is merely a misunderstanding and has advised the Sungai Siput division to bring up the issue with the MCA's legal department.
"If certain members had stolen the identity cards of members of the public and misused them to apply for MCA membership, then we promise to get to the bottom of it," he assures.
Phantom members are names on the party's membership rolls that are fictitious or were illegally obtained and approved as members.
The issue always crops up during every party election year, as divisions with large memberships are entitled to send more delegates to the general assembly that elects the party's central committee members, including the president.
In most cases, says Fui K. Soong, chief executive officer of MCA's think-tank, the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research, the so-called phantom members are actually genuine members having registered through proper channels.
"They are considered phantom members because, for some reason, they joined the party without knowing they had joined," she says. "This is an inherited problem in the last 30 years."
Cleaning the membership roll is easier said than done. As Fui says, it could be successful if the current one million MCA members are asked to re-register.
To discourage grassroots leaders from recruiting phantom members solely to bolster their votes during party elections, the party constitution now limits the number of delegates to its annual general assembly.
Under the new structure, divisions with 500 members can send only three delegates to the assembly, instead of the four allowed under the previous formula.
The new formula also states that divisions with a maximum of 1,500 members are allowed to send five delegates; six for those with a maximum of 3,000 members, and 10 for divisions with a maximum of 10,000 members.
Analysts believe Ka Ting's detractors are out to undermine the president, who is not only vulnerable at present but whose support also appears to be eroding after the party's setbacks in the March 8 polls.
Many in the party, including remnants of Team B and branch leaders who were sidelined during the general election, want Ka Ting to take full responsibility for the defeats and resign.
They are also unhappy that Ka Ting is enjoying excessive power as party president. There are fears of his creating an "Ong dynasty", ensuring Ka Chuan takes over the presidency once his brother's nine-year term as the ninth party president expires in 2012.
There are party members sending messages that create the perception that the MCA is being run like "Ong Sdn Bhd".
Their fear is understandable. Ka Ting, after refusing a cabinet post despite winning the Kulai parliamentary seat, chose Ka Chuan to take over his former Housing and Local Government ministerial portfolio.
Mounting dissatisfaction has given rise to a movement campaigning against the Ong brothers under the "Save MCA" banner, and the exposure of the snoop squad, allegedly out to "kill" political enemies of the brothers.
"This is likely to be Ka Ting's last time to defend his post, that is, if he decides to defend it in October," says Fui.
"The next party elections are due in 2011, a year before his maximum nine years' tenure as party president lapses."
Prof James Chin of Monash University says the campaign against the Ong brothers was sparked by the perception that Ka Ting single-handedly selected the MCA's general election candidates.
"Naturally, he is being blamed when his hand-picked candidates were defeated, hence the calls for his resignation.
"The more pertinent issue is not about Ka Ting being re-elected as party president for another term. It's about whether the 'Ong Dynasty' will be extended, whether Ka Chuan will take over from his younger brother, because for the first time in MCA's history, there is evidence of fighting for a creation of a dynasty."
Ka Ting has become a lonely leader of late, abandoned by many of his former supporters. A series of events to come will determine whether he will stay in office or be displaced by another MCA leader.
Former vice-presidents Da-tuk Chua Jui Meng and Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek are almost certain to challenge him. Party leaders also do not rule out vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat joining in the fray.
All this remains to be seen. Too many wandering ghosts could spell disaster for the party's leadership, as proven in past crises.
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