Datuk Paul Kong and wife Datin Wong with newly-elected MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai at a recent dinner.
KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) members in Sabah are clamouring for the appointment of MCA Penampang Division chairman Datuk Paul Kong as the new chairman of the MCA Sabah Liaison Committee.
They felt that incumbent chairman Datuk Edward Khoo, having lost once again at the recent election for the party’s central leadership, should now do the ‘honourable thing’ by making way for Kong, “without being asked to leave or overstay your welcome.”
One of the state MCA members who openly voiced his support for Kong’s ‘promotion’ was Penampang divisional deputy chief Francis Goh who is also the president of the Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (SHAREDA).
Goh pointed out that this is the second time Khoo failed to garner support of the MCA Central Delegates (CD) in the party’s election; the first being in the last election when he lost as a vice-presidential candidate. In the recent election, Khoo lost as a Central Committee Member candidate.
“In a previous party election some years ago, Khoo though elected as a Supreme Council member also got less votes than Kong and all these was despite the fact that he was the Sabah MCA Liaison Chief and an Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister,” he noted.
Goh stressed that on the other hand, Kong despite being only a divisional chief has been re-elected for a third term as a Supreme Council member and this time he was even among the top ten out of 25 elected central committee members.
“Apart from being a three-term elected party exco member, Kong had also served as the deputy state MCA liaison chief and three years as a senator or member of the Upper House of Parliament.
“In other words, he has the qualification and experience to move up the ladder. Therefore, I humbly think that it is about time that he be allowed to lead the Sabah MCA,” he stated.
Goh concluded that on behalf of MCA Penampang members, he congratulated Kong on his re-election, adding that the latter had done MCA Penampang proud once again.