MCA Deputy President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek says that unity is not an option for MCA, but a necessity,and party leaders have to admit that internal strife in the past one year had paralysed the party, he said in an interview with Bernama.
He said: "If you want to talk about unity, one should not pursue (the rigid stance of) who is right and who is wrong as it would be endless."
He admitted that he was the cause of the Oct 10 extraordinary general meeting (EGM) because he was unhappy with certain party decisions.
But Dr Chua said much water had flowed under the bridge.
"Enough is enough. You just need to move forward," he said.
As leaders and members of a political party, he said there should be realisation that "we must work together".
He said there was greater awareness by president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on this, and that "we should bury the hatchet."
"He and me (recently) sat down together to discuss how to make MCA more united and stable," he said.
Elaborating on the Greater Unity Plan (GUP), he said that it was important that there should be sincerity to make it work.
"No point of (just giving) lip service if you are not sincere and no mutual respect -- the respect that everyone has a role to play," he added.
"As a political party, one has to recognise that there would never be 100 per cent unity.
"As long as the majority are supportive of a particular or certain cause or supportive of the party's central leadership, then the party is united. There is always a small minority who is not happy.
"There is no secret weapon to achieve unity. We need to be united, strong and stable. Only then can we carry out our activities, only then can we win the trust and confidence of the rakyat," he said.
Dr Chua explained that the MCA, as a political party, depended on the people's support and therefore it cannot carry on as a piece of dead wood.
"We are all elected to serve (the people), not (the other way round) for the people to serve us."
Dr Chua said there was no doubt that after the Oct 10 EGM, another splinter group had emerged.
"But as far as the GUP is concerned, it would be have to be inclusive and this group of people should be included."
Asked if he and Ong had shut the door to this group, Dr Chua said the party welcomed anybody who could contribute to the unity and strength of the MCA.
He said the MCA top leadership would go down to states to explain about the GUP.
Asked on the Nov 28 EGM called by some CC members, Dr Chua said one could not call for an EGM while repeatedly saying that it was in the name of democracy when it was already discussed at the CC meeting of Nov 3 that the motion for it ran against the MCA's constitution.
"If you do something in the name of democracy but the party's constitution says that it is unconstitutional, then you open up an avenue for debate and this may cause greater disunity," he said.
He said the group concerned could be persistent to have an EGM on Nov 28 but the question remained whether there would be enough support.
"If their idea is just to hold fresh elections, the question will be whether it can be implemented or not.
"The party's constitution said that it can only hold fresh polls once in three years or when 2/3 of elected CC resigned. So the motion of Nov 28 EGM does not address this," he said.
He said: "If you want to talk about unity, one should not pursue (the rigid stance of) who is right and who is wrong as it would be endless."
He admitted that he was the cause of the Oct 10 extraordinary general meeting (EGM) because he was unhappy with certain party decisions.
But Dr Chua said much water had flowed under the bridge.
"Enough is enough. You just need to move forward," he said.
As leaders and members of a political party, he said there should be realisation that "we must work together".
He said there was greater awareness by president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on this, and that "we should bury the hatchet."
"He and me (recently) sat down together to discuss how to make MCA more united and stable," he said.
Elaborating on the Greater Unity Plan (GUP), he said that it was important that there should be sincerity to make it work.
"No point of (just giving) lip service if you are not sincere and no mutual respect -- the respect that everyone has a role to play," he added.
"As a political party, one has to recognise that there would never be 100 per cent unity.
"As long as the majority are supportive of a particular or certain cause or supportive of the party's central leadership, then the party is united. There is always a small minority who is not happy.
"There is no secret weapon to achieve unity. We need to be united, strong and stable. Only then can we carry out our activities, only then can we win the trust and confidence of the rakyat," he said.
Dr Chua explained that the MCA, as a political party, depended on the people's support and therefore it cannot carry on as a piece of dead wood.
"We are all elected to serve (the people), not (the other way round) for the people to serve us."
Dr Chua said there was no doubt that after the Oct 10 EGM, another splinter group had emerged.
"But as far as the GUP is concerned, it would be have to be inclusive and this group of people should be included."
Asked if he and Ong had shut the door to this group, Dr Chua said the party welcomed anybody who could contribute to the unity and strength of the MCA.
He said the MCA top leadership would go down to states to explain about the GUP.
Asked on the Nov 28 EGM called by some CC members, Dr Chua said one could not call for an EGM while repeatedly saying that it was in the name of democracy when it was already discussed at the CC meeting of Nov 3 that the motion for it ran against the MCA's constitution.
"If you do something in the name of democracy but the party's constitution says that it is unconstitutional, then you open up an avenue for debate and this may cause greater disunity," he said.
He said the group concerned could be persistent to have an EGM on Nov 28 but the question remained whether there would be enough support.
"If their idea is just to hold fresh elections, the question will be whether it can be implemented or not.
"The party's constitution said that it can only hold fresh polls once in three years or when 2/3 of elected CC resigned. So the motion of Nov 28 EGM does not address this," he said.