Ex-president: Given a choice, I would erase my history in MCA

He was once MCA president and transport minister. He exposed corruption in the allocation for Chinese schools and the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal. And the list continues.

However, when Ong Tee Keat quit MCA in January, there were no news reports on this.

The matter only became public this week, when a Chinese daily got wind of his resignation and contacted him for confirmation.

There was a laundry list of questions: when did he make up his mind to leave? Why did he quit in such a low-profile manner? Has he given up on politics? Is he planning to join another party?

In an interview with Malaysiakini, Ong provides the answers.

From the onset, it was evident that Ong no longer cared about MCA, and revealed that the feeling appeared to be mutual, since none had attempted to dissuade him from quitting.

He also does not want to be remembered in MCA.

“Nobody asked me to stay. First of all, I don't need and don't care about others asking me to stay.

“I don't wish for them to remember me,” Ong retorted when asked how he would like to be remembered.

“If given a choice, I would rather erase the history of my presence in MCA, including all the things I had done. Right or wrong, let the people judge me,” he added.

Ong, who joined MCA in 1981, was in the corporate sector before joining politics. He had served as the political aide to then labour minister and party deputy president Lee Kim Sai.

The 61-year-old politician then rose up the ranks to become MCA Youth chief, a Member of Parliament, cabinet minister and MCA president.

Explaining his decision to quit, Ong said he chose to do so in order not to make others feel uncomfortable.

“If I remain, some would think I am planning to make a comeback. Rather than making these people anxious, giving them the wrong perception, or creating the space for rumours...,” he added.

Approached by other parties

Ong also dismissed the possibility of joining another political party, saying: "I think it is better to be clear… I don't want to be involved in partisan politics."

Admitting that he had been approached by other parties, he declined to elaborate on this.

To another question, the former MCA president said his decision was not related to the forthcoming general election either, saying this in response to those who questioned the timing of his move.

"Totally irrelevant. How do I know when the general election would be held? I believe people who accuse me have no idea when the date (for GE14) is either," he added.

Ong's reasons aside, some have speculated that his resignation is related to his disappointment for not being selected to defend his Pandan parliament seat in the last general election and his defeat in the MCA presidential race in a three-cornered bout the same year - involving incumbent Liow Tiong Lai and then vice-president Gan Ping Sieu

"After the general election... I had an idea, which is to give myself another chance (to contest in the party elections),” he said.

However, Ong only secured 160 votes from the 2,352 central delegates, or just seven percent of the total votes.- Mkini