The Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, considered an influential opinion group, will continue to highlight the plight of the Chinese community to the government as well as push for internal reforms, its new president Ting Chee Seng said today.

"Our direction for the next two years will remain the same. We will continue to bring forward the wishes and aspirations of our community to the government, like what we have been doing in the past," Ting, who is leader of the Malaysian Federation of Alumni Association of Taiwan Universities, told malaysiakini.

He also expressed the hope that the government would recognise and not curb SCAH's right to do so.

"The government should treat everyone equally. It is unreasonable to label us as 'extremist' just because we say something or take certain actions which certain government leaders disagree with," he said.

Controversial body

SCAH, the umbrella body to 362 Chinese guilds and associations in the state, is no stranger to controversy.

Two years ago, it faced the wrath of Umno Youth deputy chief Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir and his followers who threatened to set its premises on fire.

Umno Youth also demonstrated outside the assembly hall in Kuala Lumpur, which was then the office of the working committee of Suqiu or the Malaysian Chinese Organisations' Election Appeal.

Suqiu was a 17-point memorandum endorsed by thousands by Chinese organisations which had called for a fairer and just Malaysia, including the abolition of the distinction between bumiputra and non-bumiputra.

It was accepted by the government 'in principle' before the 1999 general election but was later likened by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to 'extremist' and 'communist'.

Government critic

Last week, SCAH also adopted several resolutions which criticise the government for, among others, the Vision School project — a proposal to place schools of different teaching medium in the same compound — and the use of the Internal Security Act against political detainees.

As SCAH is known to be an influential player on ethnic Chinese issues, its top posts had been hotly contested by individuals representing different partisan and non-partisan interests in the past.

The committee has 45 members, 17 of whom are elected every two years. Another 22 are permanent members representing Chinese organisations that helped to stabilise the conflict-ridden SCAH some 70 years ago, while the remaining six are appointed members.

Yesterday, Ting was chosen as SCAH president among the 45 committee members at their first meeting since its biennial election last week, amid widespread rumour earlier that deputy president Tan Yew Sing was vying for the top post.

Tan, who runs Inti International Group of Colleges, has instead chosen to remain in the Number Two post.

Both Tan and Ting were among 17 people who had swept all the posts as elected committee members last week at the SCAH biennial election.

Pro-reform faction

These elected members are referred to as the pro-reform faction as they are dedicated to abolish the status of the 22 permanent members in the name to restore 'democratic practice' in the organisation.

With the duo from the pro-reform faction holding the two top posts of SCAH, it is expected that the effort to push for abolition of the status of the 22 permanent members will be stepped up within the next few months.

Ting told malaysiakini today that "seven or eight" of the permanent members have been convinced that the abolition of their status is for the good of SCAH.

"Many of these 22 organisations are no longer active. If SCAH truly wants to represent the community's interests, the representatives should be chosen properly so that they will be respected by all," he said.

He stressed that the proposed abolition of the status of the SCAH permanent members was a fight for principle and not a result of personality clashes.

The pro-reform faction is ironically backed by Ting's predecessor, Ngan Ching Wen, one of the 22 permanent members in the organisation by virtue of his position as the president of Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Ngan, a prominent businessman with a reputation as an outspoken leader during his tenure as the SCAH president over the past four years, particularly against the acquisition of two Chinese dailies by MCA's investment arm Huaren Holdings last May.

Close to Mahathir

Liew Poon Shiak, a staunch critic of Ngan's leadership was, however, absent at the SCAH committee meeting yesterday.

Liew, who is the president of the Federation of Selangor and Federal Territory Chinese Guilds and Associations, had cited contributions in the past and mobilised the permanent members to oppose the abolition of their status.

The veteran leader is now seen as close to Mahathir after he served the premier tea at a National Day celebration last August.