The MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek must be the most red-faced man in Malaysia yesterday with the dissolution of Parliament as some 12 hours earlier, he had told the world that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had confided in him that there was “plenty more time before GE13”

Trying to impress MCA leaders and members as well as outsiders of his “intimate relationship” with the Prime Minister, he told party members at the launch of the 1,000-day MCA report card that he met Najib for the third round of meetings to finalise the list of election candidates on Monday and asked him how long more he had to provide new names for the candidates list.

Chua said Najib told him “there was still a lot more time”.

Chua said: “I don’t understand what he meant but I feel syok (good) that there is a lot more time.” (Malaysiakini)

I do not know whether Chua still feel syok or “soiled” with the dissolution of Parliament yesterday, as the whole episode shows the MCA President is suffering from a serious dual ailment of gullibility and denial complex.

Without privilege of access to the Prime Minister, I had told reporters in Gelang Patah on Tuesday that dissolution of Parliament on the next day of Wednesday was eminently likely for four reasons: the cancellation of Najib’s Umrah trip, the fourth anniversary of Najib’s premiership, Wednesday being Cabinet meeting when the Prime Minister would have a weekly audience with the Yang di Pertuan Agong and the announcement that the Barisan Nasional election manifesto would be made public on Saturday on April 6, an event which is normally held after dissolution of Parliament.

It is clear that the MCA President does not bulk large in the radar of the UMNO President, who clearly regarded Chua as totally irrelevant and insignificant in the larger UMNO/BN scheme of things, especially with regard to the impending 13GE life-and-death battle and who is never regarded as an equal among top BN leader!

This is why Najib fobbed off Chua’s query as when is the 13GE with a big lie about “a lot more time” when he had already made up his mind to dissolve Parliament two days later.

I do not think the first premier Tunku Abdul Rahman would have treated his contemporary MCA President Tun Siew Sin in so contemptuous and humiliating a manner.

Last Thursday on 28th March 2013, Datuk Wong Chun Wai, the MCA-owned daily, the Star, was dragooned to write a front-page comment piece in the Star declaring “No dissolution yet – 4 reasons why”, viz:

• Caretaker government cannot enter into agreements at Lima;

• Finishing touches to some projects and programmes;

• Barisan Nasional candidates’ list not finalised; and

• Impossible at the moment for politicians to campaign freely in Lahad Datu.

Wong’s four-reason justification for Najib’s feet-dragging on the dissolution of Parliament earned a well-deserved riposte “Four ‘good’ reasons, my foot” from S. Ambiga, Bersih co-chairman.

Why did the MCA President and the MCA-owned daily Star allow themselves to be trampled so shabbily by UMNO leaders and operatives?

I am tickled by Chua’s declaration that he will not contest against me in Gelang Patah parliamentary seat as “I’m no dictator to take on Kit Siang on a whim” (Malaysiakini April 2, 2013).

In the first place, I had never challenged Chua to contest against me in Gelang Patah. It was his own MCA stalwart, Pasir Gudang MCA division leader Tan Cher Puk who had instigated him to take me on in Gelang Patah to “raise the MCA’s morale”.

Secondly, Chua does not seem to know MCA history, for there were at least four MCA Presidents had “parachuted” into other constituencies to contest.

If he will just visit the MCA website, he will easily discover the shifting of constituencies of former MCA Presidents like Tan Sri Lee San Choon from Segamat Utara (1969), Segamat (1974/78) to Seremban (1982); Tan Koon Swan from Raub (1978) to Damansara (1982) and Gopeng (1986); Tan Sri Dr. Ling Liong Sik from Mata Kuching (1974/78) to Labis (1982- 1999); and Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting from Pontian (1990/94/99) to Tanjong Piai (2004) to Kulai (2008).

Or is Chua scolding Lee San Choon, Tan Koon Swan, Ling Liong Sik and Ong Ka Ting as a quartet of dictator-MCA Presidents?

However, Chua has undoubtedly created history for a MCA President in the 64-year history of the MCA – the first MCA President who has lost the power to decide whether he could stand as a candidate the the national general elections, as Najib must be convinced about his “winnability” and give his nod and approval before Chua could stand as a parliamentary candidate in the nation’s general elections.

Imagine a MCA President who the UMNO President dismisses as a candidate because of the lack or “winnability” – what a shame and humiliation!

This deplorable state of affairs would be totally unthinkable and unacceptable in the first 60 years of history of the MCA whether the party was headed by a President or Acting President –Tan Cheng Lock, Dr. Lim Chong Eu, Dr. Cheah Toon Lok (Acting Tan Siew Sin, Lee San Choon, Dr. Neo Yee Pan (Acting), Tan Koon Swan, Ling Liong Sik, Ong Ka Ting and Ong Tee Keat.