Pontian MCA lashes out at leadership after seat swap with Umno

JOHOR POLLS | Pontian MCA is up in arms after the party's top leadership gave up one of its traditional seats there to Umno.

Tee Siew Keong (above), who had contested in Pulai Sebatang in every general election since 2004, accused party leaders of using the seat swap to consolidate their position.

Tee, who is seen to be aligned with former MCA president Chua Soi Lek, represented Pulai Sebatang from 2004 to 2018 until his defeat by Amanah.

"I can say the reason that I was not nominated as a candidate in this Johor election was due to the factional split in the party.

"The party leadership which had the decision had their own agenda and political interest," he told a press conference in Johor Bahru today.

Prior to Chua's retirement, he was in a factional tussle with Liow Tiong Lai and Wee Ka Siong, who both eventually became MCA presidents.

Under a seat swap arrangement, MCA surrendered Parit Yaani and Pulai Sebatang to Umno. In return, Umno gave MCA Puteri Wangsa.

MIC also gave up Skudai to MCA but was compensated with Bukit Batu, previously contested by Gerakan, which was no longer part of BN.

Apart from giving away the seats of factional rivals, Tee also accused the MCA central leadership of only fielding their allies in the state polls.

"The central MCA leadership only wants to consolidate their position in the party, and all the candidates are their supporters.

"All 15 candidates are not main divisional leaders, and a majority of them do not have positions at the division level.

"Among them include personal assistants to ministers and deputy ministers," he said.

However, Tee said he would still assist BN candidates in the Johor polls.

Asked if he would assist MCA in particular, Tee said it depended if they wanted him, but he did not think the leadership was of the opinion that he was influential.

Sidelined party’s interest

Meanwhile, the Pontian MCA division and its wings, in a separate statement, also criticised its central leadership.

"We are saddened and disappointed by the failure of the MCA leadership to defend Pulai Sebatang, an MCA traditional seat in Pontian,' they said.

They said the central leadership ignored their good work and was willing to sideline a well-received leader.

They added that the central and state leaders have visited the constituency several times before the state polls and were satisfied with their polls preparation.

"But now they have sidelined the party's interest for personal interest and other concealed factors by letting go of the Pulai Sebatang seat," they said.

However, as the state polls were upon them, they said they would not be organising protests but stressed their unwavering support for Tee. - Mkini