Soi Lek blames ‘unethical’ pro-Umno bloggers for Tee Keat remarks

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 – MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today condemned the behaviour of pro-Umno bloggers who he claimed were only interested in “scoops and spinning” rather than helping out his party.

Dr Chua had blamed the pro-Umno blogger who published his remarks against former president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat 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 (picture) explained in a press conference here.

“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 was made in a friendly manner.

By betraying the mutual trust and respect placed between them, Dr Chua claimed that he will be more wary of pro-Umno bloggers and their motives in the future.

“Please don’t come and disturb me anymore,” he warned the bloggers.

However, Dr Chua clarified that he will not be taking any action towards the blogger who published his remarks.

“What for should I take any action? I don’t even have the power.”

He also said that he does not need to explain himself to Ong, and MCA leaders have been understanding in the aftermath of the report.

“All MCA members and leaders have a common destiny. All of us embrace that, we must work as a team,” he said.

“Why should I (explain myself)? I don’t want to waste my time.”

On Thursday, Dr Chua had suggested to a group of pro-Umno bloggers at his office that his rival and predecessor Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat 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 yesterday, 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 yesterday.