What was scheduled as a press conference by MCA president Ling Liong Sik at 6pm today turned out to be a "monologue" as the minister-still-on-leave read from a prepared text and did not stay to take any questions from the press.

The short statement he read out in English and Malay started off with "My resignation...". This is clearly misleading, as in fact, there had never to date been any resignation

There was merely an expression of wishing to resign as transport minister announced indirectly by Ling's party deputy Lim Ah Lek, also via a prepared text, on that fateful Monday ("[#1]Ling resigns from Cabinet position[/#]", May 22).

Then, Ling had referred to "party problems" for his "decision" and that he would remain as MCA president, in a statement which was read and issued by Lim.

Following a meeting with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad two days later, Ling said he had been given official leave of two weeks to "reconsider" his decision of wishing to resign from the Cabinet.

However, while attending another function later, Mahathir intimated that Ling's offer to resign could have been partly related to "family matters", when asked by the press if it had anything to do with his son Hee Leong's business problems ("[#2]Ling owes Waterloo to junior?[/#]", May 22).

Since the Monday's announcement, there had been many calls by MCA ministers, deputy ministers and other leaders, members, community leaders as well as some Barisan Nasional leaders urging Ling to remain as transport minister, saying that his services were still much needed.

When news spread soon after Mahathir's intimation that Ling's dilemma could stem from Hee Leong's business ventures and could be related to fugitive Soh Chee Wen who was issued a warrant of arrest relating to securities' trading offences, certain party members have also asked for the "true reason" for Ling's action.

Ling's fallout and differences with Lim and Lim's protege, Chan Kong Choy - the only vice-president who does not have a full minister's position - were worsened when he, on a separate occasion, said his "resignation as transport minister" would enable Chan to be recommended to Mahathir to fill the vacancy.

Also, Ling had described as "an evil lie" when malaysiakini asked him whether his expressed wish to resign was related to tycoon Soh Chee Wen ("[#3]'Evil' to tie resignation with fugitive tycoon, says MCA chief[/#]", May 24).

So when MCA headquarters told malaysiakini early afternoon there was an emergency MCA central committee meeting at 6pm today, it was speculated that the time might have come for a potential "showdown" between the two camps, with Lim's faction likely to ask Ling about the "rumours relating to his son's business problems" that caused Mahathir to make the remark about "Ling's family matters".

By just reading a short prepared text today, Ling left many questions "unanswered". ("[#4]Ling says he will stay[/#]", June 6).

An MCA politics observer said when the saga started, the party central committee as well as presidential council had met first before the press were told, via deputy president Lim Ah Lek.

When Ling ended the five-paragraph statement, he said that "I will continue to serve", but he did not even care to add three little words "as transport minister". Was this deliberate?

There seemed to be many "holes" and omissions, deliberate and planned, to leave members of the public "guessing".

If indeed his family's affairs had nothing to do with the saga stirred up over the past fortnight, Ling should have used the "press conference" to clarify the issue or rebut the "evil" rumours.

And why indeed, the observer asked, that the president did not chair a central committee first, just merely as a briefing, for his change of mind.

If indeed it was "party problems" that started the ruckus, have these problems been resolved over the past two weeks resulting now with a happy state of affairs that makes Ling's stay in the Cabinet now "tenable"?

Maybe senior minister Chua Jui Meng knows more and is not telling, saying only that "this move (by Ling to continue to serve) will definitely heal the problems that were there".

What "problems", Chua did not offer any hints.

Are these problems related to the camp behind his nemesis, deputy MCA president Lim Ah Lek and Chan's non-appointment as full minister?

Incidentally, Lim who spoke on fateful May 22, was present today but did not speak. He must feel either quietly amused or seething with suppressed anger for being an actor at the president's pleasure.

Many questions - many doubts too - linger.

Ling is the only person who can shed some light on the continuing "wayang", whose last scene has yet to be acted out.