The Malaysian Insider

OCT 11 – MCA is now leaderless. Both the President and Deputy President of MCA have been rejected by delegates at their EGM.

This has a bearing on the government of the day. Those members  of the cabinet from MCA are there by virtue of being appointed by the PM from a list submitted by the President of MCA.

With Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat’s removal by his own party via the EGM, he and his chosen team in cabinet may no longer be taken to represent MCA, let alone the Chinese community. This is implied by the logic of BN’s system of communal representation.

JULY 22 — I am honoured that Datuk Zaid Ibrahim should speak so highly of me, and consider me worthy of national leadership. He invites me to join PKR, and to dissociate myself from a party which he now finds fascist and racist.

I am under no illusions that Umno is bound for destruction on its present course. Neither do I hold unrealistic expectations about the possibility of reform when the rot has gone so deep.

JUNE 29 — There are reports of a supposed tussle of wills between the prime minister and the board of Petronas over his choice of a non-executive, independent director for the board. I find the way this discussion is being framed in the press and on the blogs a little puzzling.

To begin with, the question of a tussle of wills, so to speak, between the board of Petronas and the prime minister does not arise. The Articles of Association governing Petronas give the prime minister the absolute power to appoint and remove every single member of the board and management. The prime minister has the right to appoint or remove anyone, from the president and chief executive officer down to the company drivers. In particular, every member of the board is an appointee of the prime minister, and represents him on the board.