Tee Keat mocks Soi Lek for blaming ‘unethical’ pro-Umno bloggers

Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — Former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat fired another verbal salvo at his successor Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek, chiding the current president's decision to question the morality of pro-Umno bloggers.

"I'm shocked that Soi Lek slammed pro-Umno bloggers as "immoral" for publishing some of his remarks during his chats with them. His statement was published in the Chinese press this morning.

"I find it funny because the "immoral" label was thrown around by Soi Lek, whose morals himself are indeed publicly questioned," said Ong in a text message here.

The Pandan MP also explained that he had asked for Dr Chua to seek help from psychiatrists because the MCA president had been lashing out for no discernible reasons, not because he was suggesting for Dr Chua to be admitted to an asylum.

On Thursday, Dr Chua had suggested to a group of pro-Umno bloggers at his office that his rival and predecessor Ong may quit the party if there is no clear winner to the next general election.

According to Syed Akbar Ali (syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com), a pro-Umno blogger who attended the meeting, Dr Chua had said there were factions in MCA and the only way to overcome this would be to work hard.

"Revisiting the issue of factionalism and lack of support, he spoke bluntly about the Ong Tee Keat faction trying to sabotage him in Melaka. Dr Chua feels that if there is a hung Parliament after the general elections, Ong Tee Keat may just pack his bags and leave. Like Chua Jui Ming," Syed Akbar wrote on his blog.

In response, Ong took a swipe at Chua via Facebook on Friday, saying he pitied the MCA president and suggested that he seek psychiatric treatment.

"I really pity him. This is just a fresh round of OTK-bashing, a cyclical recurrence of d same symptom during festive season, more so b4 GE13. He needs help from a psychiatrist perhaps," Ong wrote on his Facebook page.

In the aftermath, Dr Chua condemned last night the behaviour of pro-Umno bloggers who he claimed were only interested in "scoops and spinning" rather than helping out his party.

He had blamed the pro-Umno blogger who published his remarks against Ong for starting the public tiff between the two, claiming that the chat had been behind closed doors.

"They obviously do not honour what was discussed ... It was a closed door interaction to talk about MCA's preparation for general election," Dr Chua explained in a press conference.

"It was just a chit-chat, some of (my remarks) were in a joking form ... So obviously they have no reporting ethics."

"I would like to condemn their behaviour, and the fact that they broke that promise," Dr Chua added, referring to the bloggers' pledge to not publish any of his remarks that were made in a friendly manner.