Change of guard in the MCA

NEW MCA LEADERS (May 24): Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting has been elected party president and Datuk Chan Kong Choy his deputy by the MCA central committee. They take over from Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik and Datuk Seri Lim Ah Lek respectively. Ong and Chan pledged to strengthen party unity and work together to serve the party, Barisan Nasional, the Malaysian Chinese community and the country.  

LING RESIGNS (May 24): MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Lim Ah Lek resigned from their party posts to pave the way for a generation of younger leaders to take over. The MCA central committee accepted their resignation after party members failed to persuade them to change their minds. Speculation of their imminent resignation was rife earlier in the week. The party was embroiled in a power struggle between Team A (headed by Dr Ling) and Team B (headed by Lim) for 14 months in the run-up to triennial elections in the middle of last year until the Prime Minister stepped in with a peace plan in April last year.