Tee Keat unveils low-profile manifesto for MCA polls

Making a bid to return as MCA president, Ong Tee Keat today unveiled his manifesto, which he called the product of feedback from the grassroots.

Unlike MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai, who is also gunning for the presidency at the party elections next week, Ong's manifesto was unveiled without fanfare in the presence of about 100 supporters.

Supporters may say that the low-profile launching today is a sign of Ong's humility while detractors may say this does not bode well for his support base.

Clad in the blue-collared MCA uniform, Ong was mindful of the atmosphere, noting: "This is not a rally or a ceramah, this is just a simple press conference."

The former MCA president in unveiling his manifesto summed them up in three principles: Equal BN partnership, economic equality and fairness and meritocracy.

Another of Ong's rivals for the party presidency, incumbent MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu, also unveiled his manifesto at the same time at a hotel less than 2km away.

A highlight at Gan's manifesto launch was his announcement of joining forces with MCA deputy president hopeful Donald Lim in the party election slated for Dec 21.

The other party deputy president hopeful, Wee Ka Siong, has thrown his support behind Liow, leaving Ong as the only party presidential hopeful without a running mate.

'Horse-trading'

In an immediate response, Ong dismissed talk that his chances would be hurt as he had no running mate and described teaming-up around him as mere "horse-trading".

"The bottom line is, it's horse-trading. Let me be frank and candid. I need your vote bank and you need my vote bank," he said.

The MCA delegates were not "rubber stamps", he said, adding that they would not obediently vote for the candidates just because they had teamed up.

Furthermore, Ong said, such practices would only promote factional politics and hurt the party.

"If I were to team up with somebody and I ask my supporters to vote for him and he does not reciprocate, it will create a lot of bad blood among individual leaders after the election.

"This will also contribute to the so-called internal conflict. I am not at all amused, and do not want to get involved in aggravating the factional politics that is deeply entrenched in MCA," he said.

'I'll work with my opponents'

Despite his ouster as president in 2010 following a protracted conflict with his then deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek, Ong stressed that he would be able to work with any faction this time round, if he won.

Even though the turnout of Ong's supporters today was modest, they were nonetheless spirited, with one supporter standing up to chastise a peace deal brokered between Liow and outgoing president Chua.

The deal will see the factions aligned to Chua and Liow backing two candidates each from their respective groups for vice-presidenial posts.

They also agreed on Chua's faction taking 13 slots in the central committee with 12 for Liow's. 

This deal does not include the positions of president and deputy president.

"Chua, on the front page of The Star, said Liow Tiong Lai is weak, indecisive and not a fighter. So why is Chua now reaching out to Liow?," asked supporter Tan Foong Luen, from the Seremban MCA division.

Ong said the party needed to deal with the anti-MCA sentiments that have lingered on till now, over six months after the last general election.

'MCA members barred'

"A few days ago there was an incident in the Federal Territory, where a Chinese restaurant put up a sign banning patrons wearing the MCA uniform.

"Of course we feel offended and humiliated... but at the same time, we should also reflect sincerely on the matter and do soul-searching on what went wrong," he said.

Ong, who had also invited the incumbent MCA president Chua and his deputy Liow to the manifesto launch, said he regretted their absence.

"My invitation to them was simply to enable the party leadership to have first hand information on the public feedback (in the manifesto)," he said.


The eight areas of focus in the manifesto are:

1) Party grassroots empowerment

• institutionalising party divisional funding and providing staff to divisions for activities;

• conducting election training for the grassroots; and,

• revising the party electoral system.

2) Forming 1MCA Clubs as outreach to Malaysians at the community level;

3) Reactivating overseas MCA clubs to reach overseas Malaysians;

4) Assisting small- and medium-scale enterprises and enhancing MCA's role and visibility in the business market;

5)  Institutionalising monetary assistance to independent Chinese schools and conforming secondary schools and lobbying for funds for Chinese primary schools;

6) Implementing career training skills for youths and strengthening the MCA Youth engagement with them;

7) Capacity building activities for under-privileged women to make them economically self-reliant; and,

8) Free mobile healthcare services.

The nomination day for the MCA elections has been fixed for Monday, Dec 16.