With his haughty character, it was impossible for MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to go back on his words of leaving. The change of his attitude during the period between the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and the Central Committee (CC) meeting was the key that made him decide to stay and “perish together” with the CC.

After the EGM on 10 Oct, he wanted to resign immediately but the CC asked him to stay as they were afraid that no one would host the CC meeting and arrange for the succession. According to Deputy President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Ong asked him before he left the country to coordinate with Secretary-General Datuk Wong Foon Meng to make arrangements for the succession.

But why Ong refused to leave when he returned? And why did he accuse that the CC has betrayed him? I guess he is just “too persistent and can't let it go”. Perhaps, during his vacation, someone fanned the flames and said that some CC members actually betrayed him in the EGM. They did not stand by him but to distribute positions among themselves. This made anxious Ong to get into a dead end and believe that “some people have betrayed him”. He then started to plot the plan of “a destruction for all”.

There are several indicators showing that the decision to dissolve the CC was not made on an impulse. On the eve of the CC meeting, he summoned CC members one by one, denouncing them as betrayers. The CC meeting ended at 5pm and he posted a long article on his blog at 5.16pm the same day, announcing his decision to hold another EGM. It showed that the article has actually been drawn up earlier. He wrote: “To my aspiring MCA colleagues, I must apologise if I stand in the way of your political ascendency.”

A lofty and narcissistic man could not tolerate betrayal. Therefore, he wanted to see the betrayers being punished even he would be accused of no credibility.

Master Hsing Yun advised Ong not to be too persistent. But Ong's mind has been filled with the myth and only he can save himself.

Even if he does really get betrayed, it is part of the politics. Politicians must face the cruel fact and let the rules of the game to deal with the betrayers. One's persistence will be a burden for the party and it will forfeit the person's last dignity.

Ong is a literate with intellectual arrogance, but he has no leadership skills. When there is a setback, he will naturally be filled with self-pity. He wishes to achieve a success but he does not know how to run the party and make contributions. Thus, he chooses to deal with knotty issues to cover up the weaknesses in his leadership.

When he is a leader, he should read some leadership books like The Leadership Challenge, instead of indulging in martial art fictions which are irrelevant to reality, causing himself to have lived in the martial art world that keeps taking revenge and comes out with pathetic words like “being ambushed from all directions” and “my friends are actually the enemies”.

It would be like a self-imprisonment if he stays as the President but becomes an enemy to many CC members while having no idea how to face other BN leaders and daring not to believe people around him. Would he be happy even if he succeeds in taking revenge?

What have happened to Ong actually told us that it is hard to get a good leader and leaders, will as well lose themselves. (By LIM SUE GOAN/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily)