Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat has hit back at his successor Dr Chua Soi Lek for accusing him of incompetence during his tenure.
Chua had dragged Ong’s name into his debate with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng last Saturday, saying Ong could not lead and was hence taken down by party members in less than a year.
The issue arose when Lim asked Chua about MCA being fed crumbs by Umno in the BN coalition.
This was a reference to Ong’s remark in a private conversation with a US embassy official in 2006, as revealed by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks last year.
Defending himself immediately, Ong had tweeted on Saturday night: 'CSL (Chua) dragged me in with a swipe... But I wonder if he is not rotten; why MCA has got such a nosedive support.' [sic]
At a press conference after handing out BR1M aid to some 2,000 people in his parliamentary constituency of Pandan today, Ong explained his remark in the WikiLeaks records.
"When the US embassy official asked me about Chinese sentiments back in 2006, I did mention the word ‘crumb’ as a perception was prevalent among (the Malaysian) Chinese.
"I did not mean a crumb, but that was a perception... but for now, I think there should be sufficient latitude from you to interpret... based on my observations, Chinese support (for the MCA) is faltering."
Chua had dragged Ong’s name into his debate with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng last Saturday, saying Ong could not lead and was hence taken down by party members in less than a year.
The issue arose when Lim asked Chua about MCA being fed crumbs by Umno in the BN coalition.
This was a reference to Ong’s remark in a private conversation with a US embassy official in 2006, as revealed by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks last year.
Defending himself immediately, Ong had tweeted on Saturday night: 'CSL (Chua) dragged me in with a swipe... But I wonder if he is not rotten; why MCA has got such a nosedive support.' [sic]
At a press conference after handing out BR1M aid to some 2,000 people in his parliamentary constituency of Pandan today, Ong explained his remark in the WikiLeaks records."When the US embassy official asked me about Chinese sentiments back in 2006, I did mention the word ‘crumb’ as a perception was prevalent among (the Malaysian) Chinese.
"I did not mean a crumb, but that was a perception... but for now, I think there should be sufficient latitude from you to interpret... based on my observations, Chinese support (for the MCA) is faltering."
He described Chua’s verbal attack against him as a “cheap shot”.
‘Nothing new raised in debate’
Asked to comment about the debate, he said both debaters had strayed far from the topic and that they appeared to be giving speeches.
“I’d prefer them to go against one another’s arguments, but they said their own things without touching on the real topic or rebutting the other’s claims,” he said.
Even school-level debaters would have focused on the topic, for the evaluation of judges, he said.
Ong also viewed the debate topic ‘Chinese at the crossroads’ as being passé.
“The debate (highlighted) the same platitudes like old political speeches we have heard before. If you say the community is at the crossroads, after the debate, it is still the same,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of 'Ms Tow Truck' who had posed a question to Lim in a fiery manner, Ong said members of political parties should know how to conduct themselves.
“Whether ... a MCA or Pakatan member, the way you carry yourself will certainly reflect on the party you are affiliated to,” he noted.
He, however, dodged the question when asked to elaborate on a report in The Malaysian Insider, in which he had said he would disclose more names involved in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.
He would only say he is committed to following through the case as he had initiated the probe when he was the transport minister.
“I raised the PKFZ issue two or three times in Parliament, but my questions were thrown out as being sub judice,” he added.
‘Nothing new raised in debate’
Asked to comment about the debate, he said both debaters had strayed far from the topic and that they appeared to be giving speeches.
“I’d prefer them to go against one another’s arguments, but they said their own things without touching on the real topic or rebutting the other’s claims,” he said.
Even school-level debaters would have focused on the topic, for the evaluation of judges, he said.
Ong also viewed the debate topic ‘Chinese at the crossroads’ as being passé. “The debate (highlighted) the same platitudes like old political speeches we have heard before. If you say the community is at the crossroads, after the debate, it is still the same,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of 'Ms Tow Truck' who had posed a question to Lim in a fiery manner, Ong said members of political parties should know how to conduct themselves.
“Whether ... a MCA or Pakatan member, the way you carry yourself will certainly reflect on the party you are affiliated to,” he noted.
He, however, dodged the question when asked to elaborate on a report in The Malaysian Insider, in which he had said he would disclose more names involved in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.
He would only say he is committed to following through the case as he had initiated the probe when he was the transport minister.
“I raised the PKFZ issue two or three times in Parliament, but my questions were thrown out as being sub judice,” he added.
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