Tee Keat denies he intends to join opposition party

The former MCA president says he is concentrating on his work as a member of parliament.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat today dismissed rumours that he intends to join a party in the PKR-DAP-PAS opposition pact.

Ong, who is the MP for Pandan, said he did meet opposition leaders as rumoured but denied that he had had talks on joining any of the opposition political parties.

“Previously, they (the rumours) said I will join PKR. After that was proven to be not true, they said I will join the DAP on Jan 20. What next? PAS?” he said when contacted by Bernama.

However, Ong, who is a former transport minister, remained coy about his next political move except to say that he will make an announcement at the appropriate time.

“I will cross that bridge when it comes. But, for now, I’m concentrating on my work as a member of parliament, helping people in the constituency,” he said.

This is not the first time rumours have emerged about Ong planning to join another party.

Last October, online news portals claimed that Ong met Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok on separate occasions, and had possibly discussed his joining the opposition pact. However, Ong denied the reports.

In a interview published by an English language daily last week, Ong vowed to defend his Pandan seat even if he is dropped by MCA.

In the past few days, speculation has been intense that he would leave MCA and join an opposition party on Jan 20.

It comes following the simultaneous resignation of two MCA grassroots leaders closely linked to him – Penang MCA Youth chief Eng Hiap Boon and Johor’s MCA Taman Desa Skudai Flats Branch deputy chairman James Wu Chee Heng – at the end of last year.

Bernama