REALLY SO GENEROUS? MCA to 'loan' seats to allies

KUALA LUMPUR- MCA yesterday announced that the party will be loaning several seats to Barisan Nasional component parties to ensure that the coalition wins big in the 13th General Election.

Its president, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, said one of the seats was the Kuantan parliamentary seat, which would be loaned to Umno because of the increase in the number of Malay voters there.

"Umno felt that it has a higher chance of winning Kuantan as there has been a 63 per cent increase in Malay voters.

"We made the decision based on the spirit of power-sharing between the component parties," he said after chairing the party's central executive committee meeting here.

In the 2008 general election, Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president Fuziah Salleh defeated Datuk Fu Ah Kiow of MCA with a 1,826-vote majority.

He also confirmed that the Kota Laksamana state seat in Malacca would be on loan to the People's Progressive Party (PPP), while a seat swap has been agreed with Gerakan in Pahang, with Gerakan contesting the Tanah Rata state seat and MCA contesting the Ketari state seat.

"We swapped the Tanah Rata state seat with Ketari from Gerakan. We got an extra state seat, Luyang in Sabah."

Dr Chua, however, denied speculation that the party had surrendered its Tebrau parliamentary seat in Johor and Padang Serai parliamentary seat in Kedah

The party was also negotiating with the BN leadership on who would be fielded in the Wangsa Maju and Pandan parliamentary seats.

"All I can say about Wangsa Maju is that our chances of fielding a candidate there is 50 per cent. Whatever it is, we must support whoever the coalition picks," he said, adding that if MCA were to contest, their candidate would be Datuk Yew Teong Look.

He also said the party had yet to decide whether to loan the state seat of Tronoh or Jelapang in Perak to MIC.

"Contrary to reports, MIC asked us for Tronoh. We are still deciding whether to give the Tronoh seat or the Jelapang seat."

Dr Chua said the tradition of loaning and swapping seats had long been practised by BN, unlike Pakatan Rakyat whereby two of its component parties would announce different candidates for one seat.

"All this exchange and loan of seats is based on the understanding that there will be a delineating of constituencies because of the increase in the number of voters. The party will then get additional state and parliamentary seats."

MCA won only 15 out of the 40 parliamentary seats and 32 out of 90 state assembly seats it contested in the 2008 general election

Earlier in a statement, Dr Chua said he would not be contesting the general election, but would lead his party's election campaign -- the first time in MCA's history that a full-time party president is not contesting the general election.

He said the decision was in line with the party's renewal process to reinvent itself.

"Today, I am walking the talk in allowing new and younger leaders in the rejuvenation process so that the party remains relevant.

"I want to prove a point that I am fighting for a cause, that MCA remains relevant, and continue to lead the party without standing for elected public office."

He noted that the 13th General Election was a mother of all elections and the party had assembled a credible team of candidates.

"I have been tirelessly embarking on projects and programmes to ensure MCA remains relevant and we continue to receive support of the rakyat and to play a meaningful role in the government."

- New Straits Times