Tee Keat to rivals: Why seek reforms only now?

'They should have instituted changes when they were in power'

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA presidential candidate Ong Tee Keat has questioned the sincerity of his two rivals in their recent calls for direct party elections and the institution of a debate culture.

Liow Tiong Lai and Gan Ping Sieu should have advocated those reforms when they were still in power, Ong said at a media conference today.

“After they were elected in 2010, did they do anything to implement direct election or institutionalise debate culture in MCA? No! But these issues have been raised only during party elections.”

Ong claimed he had been championing direct elections since 2005 and that the presidential council and central committee adoped the proposal in 2008, when he was party president.

“But unfortunately those who were tasked to implement it at the state level were up in arms against it. In the following years, the issue was eclipsed by the party crisis.”

He said that in his vision, participation in party elections should be widened to include all the branch chairmen and division delegates, instead of the current 2,300 central delegates.

MCA has 4,000 branches and 191 divisions.

Ong proposed that state elections be restored and the selection of MCA candidates for general elections made on the recommendation of divisional committees, not by division chiefs alone.

He claimed that when he was party president he wanted to put in place a system under which contenders for senior party posts would have to engage in debates.

He said he would not attend the debate session organised for this Thursday by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall because he would be on his campaign trail in Perak.

“I was caught by surprise by the invitation,” he said, “but certainly, on the subject matter, if given appropriate time, I will say yes.”

Liow will also be absent. His secretary told FMT he had prior commitments.

This means the Thursday debate is unlikely to take place. Only Gan has agreed to attend.

However, Ong said he had received a counter proposal from a party grassroots member for the three rivals to debate this Friday.

“Debate is absolutely necessary, but why don’t MCA do it? Why don’t we institutionalise it?”

Ong also addressed the question of whether MCA should rejoin the federal cabinet, saying he would allow the central delegates to decide on it later.

“I’m of the view that we should not hurriedly take up the posts,” he said. “What’s more important is to establish a meaningful partnership.”