In Regards To The Ong Brothers: Fools!

My grandfather worked under the Koperasi in the early 60s until his retirement in 1978. He spent briefly for four years in Malacca from 1967-1970. In the early 60s his assignment would be to see and monitor prospective people registered under the Koperasi's program. His assignment takes him back and forth between Pantai Remis, the coastal town of Perak and the rural area of Lenggong, on the way to Kuala Kangsar. And whenever he is free, he goes back to Ipoh to see his wife, my grandmother, his children, which of course includes my dad.

Interestingly, during his adventures in Lenggong, being full of Chinese Kongxi people (read Kuomintang), he had met a family, husband and wife are farmers with their two boys. This was during his years going there back and forth, seeing how things are progressing. It was these two boys which he recalled pique me of the interest of writing something in regards of those two. When I was a kid, he didn't mention it. It was only through the newspapers and of course the MCA general assembly reports that he finally revealed to me.

The two boys he met are actually the Ong brothers: big brother Ka Chuan and little Ka Ting.

When it was learned that Ka Ting took over Ling Liong Sik as the MCA president following Ling's retirement, he told me of this when I was in the car, listening to the radio news. He started telling me more his encounter with the boys. When I asked him more and more of what of his regard with the brothers, he stopped short of elaborating more except this:

On Ka Ting - he doesn't do much and he's unfit on running MCA.

On Ka Chuan - he just doesn't do much and at that time didn't have enough muscle to serve.

Grandpa's comment on both men was well reflected in the recent general elections in which MCA suffered badly that they only won 15 out of 40 parliamentary seats it contested. Well, it is clear that the people are rejecting the MCA right now, particularly Ka Ting. Former vice-president and Christian reformist Chua Jui Meng, according to Malaysiakini, has called on him to resign because of his responsibility of MCA's failure.

On my opinion, the Ong brothers had failed and too dumb to see a few major things in which Chinese Malaysians are angered with:

1. The loophole of the NEP allows Bumiputras, including the rich are able to purchase a property with a 7% off standard price whereas others must pay at the full price. This was not part of the policy and the other races are angered with it. As the Housing and Local Government Minister
he should have brought up the issue instead of keeping in the dark.

2. The most significant of all is that MCA never bother to defend from the non-sensible and racial invasion made by UMNO youths. When Kerisman asked MCA to shut up over secular state row, they should have keep fighting against them as part of their purpose to safeguard the rights of the Chinese. Instead, they just bowed down to the semi-literate and dumb leadership of UMNO as being their lapdog. Even if a MCA MP is elected to office, he cannot go beyond the BN's official stance, unlike the opposition. The stance was set by UMNO and going beyond results in facing the whip and the penalty.

The BN knew at that time before election that they are desperate, and in and attempt to muster support and gain publicity, Abdullah Badawi gave cash to Ka Ting and sent him to missionary schools in Perak and elevated them to fully-aided status. (Previously, only government built schools are fully funded) and to appease people anger against the Education Ministry.

3. While the MCA's objective is to defend the Chinese, it also implies indirectly that it tells the Chinese that the Indians and the Malays are their enemies. And they are fighting for race survival. The answer is there is no more race defending as previously, but instead everyone is ready to work together for a better Malaysia instead of fighting using the race card.

4. Big brother Ka Chuan was foolish to say that DAP cheated voters. The answer is that MCA is still sulking over their losses and MCA did not look into the above faults as the reason Chinese go against them. Even if I am invited to join MCA youth's (since it's open to all Chinese youths, I still say no because of #2.)

Don't keep on being dumb, Misters Ong and Ong! My family knows your antics...