Tun Ling Liong Sik once held the position of Barisan Nasional Chairman although for a brief moment!
(R.Mutharasan)
KUALA LUMPUR: The nation mourns the loss of Tun Ling Liong Sik, the former President of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), who passed away today (April 4) at the age of 82. While widely remembered for his long tenure as MCA President and Minister of Transport, his passing also brings to light a fascinating yet brief chapter in Malaysian political history: the day he served as Chairman of Barisan Nasional (BN).
In the history of Barisan Nasional, the role of Chairman has almost exclusively been held by the Prime Minister and the President of UMNO. While leaders of other component parties, such as the MCA and MIC, held senior cabinet positions, the coalition’s top leadership remained with UMNO. However, a unique constitutional and legal crisis in the late 1980s saw this tradition momentarily broken.
The events traced back to 1987 and 1988, during a leadership struggle within UMNO between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Following Dr Mahathir’s narrow victory, Tengku Razaleigh’s supporters challenged the election results in court.
The High Court ultimately ruled that UMNO was an illegal organisation because it had several unregistered branches. Consequently, the Registrar of Societies (ROS) deregistered UMNO, leaving the party legally non-existent.
Because the “old” UMNO had been declared illegal, it technically could no longer lead or be a member of the Barisan Nasional coalition. To resolve this, Dr Mahathir moved to form a new party, UMNO Baru.
During this transitional period, a high-level meeting of the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council was convened. Since Dr Mahathir was not yet the leader of a registered member party, the coalition required an interim Chairman. Tun Ling Liong Sik, as the leader of the MCA, the second-largest party in the coalition, was chosen to chair the meeting.
A fascinating fact that many may not know is that Tun Ling Liong Sik served as the Chairman of Barisan Nasional for a brief period.
In his capacity as Chairman, Ling Liong Sik’s first and most significant act was to preside over the decision to admit the newly formed UMNO Baru into the Barisan Nasional coalition. Following the party’s successful admission, Dr Mahathir was once again eligible for leadership, and the chairmanship was subsequently returned to him.
This historical event remains a testament to the stability and cooperation within the coalition during one of Malaysia’s most turbulent political eras. Tun Ling Liong Sik’s brief but pivotal role as BN Chairman is remembered as a crucial contribution to the nation’s political continuity.
Tun Ling Liong Sik served as the President of MCA from 1986 to 2003. During this period, he was also the Minister of Transport. He worked very closely with Tun S.Samy Vellu, who was then the President of MIC and Tun Dr Mahathir, who was the Prime Minister. Ling is also recognised for his role in national infrastructure development and maintaining inter-ethnic harmony.
