Chua: Najib never commented on my candidacy

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister did not stop Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek from defending his MCA president’s post on Dec 21.

Dr Chua said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, also the Barisan Nasional chairman, told him that he did not tell former deputy MCA president Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, 72, that he did not want him to contest the president’s post.

“There are people who always use the Prime Minister’s name to threaten me,” he said on how he had to beat the odds to contest and win the deputy president’s post in 2008 and president’s post in 2010.

Last week, Dr Chua announced he would not seek re-election to give way to new blood.

Lim made headlines recently after he openly claimed that Najib did not want Dr Chua to seek re-election.

Lim said he told Najib that MCA needed new leadership and that the Prime Minister had never rejected his request.

At a press conference after chairing the party’s central committee meeting at Wisma MCA here yesterday, Dr Chua said he had told the Prime Minister that Lim’s era was over.

Dr Chua said the 2,380-plus central delegates had the wisdom to decide on the party’s new central line-up.

On the unity plan lining up candidates for the post of four vice-presidents and 25 central committee members from both factions – one aligned to him and the other to deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai – he said this was to ensure there was no intense fight.

The line-up from Dr Chua’s side are Labis MP Chua Tee Yong and Kampar division chief Datuk Lee Chee Leong for vice-president and 13 for central committee member posts.

The line-up from Liow’s side are former Wanita MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun and former Kluang MP Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung for vice-president and 12 for central committee member posts.

While they (15 candidates from team aligned to him) support each other to win, Dr Chua said there was no such thing as which presidential candidate or deputy presidential candidate they supported.

Liow, vice-president Gan Ping Sieu and former president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat are going for the president’s post, while Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong and vice-president Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai are gunning for the deputy president’s post.

In another development, Dr Chua said Najib had reassured him that he is a Prime Minister for all Malaysians and practised inclusiveness.

He said he had voiced his concern to the Barisan chairman and Umno president on the racial tones from delegates at the Umno assembly last week, like asking to change 1Malaysia to 1Melayu.

Dr Chua said some delegates had said things which were not reflective of the leadership, and this had triggered concern among the people and undermine racial harmony.

Umno delegates need to look into this and should be sensitive because what they said will hinder national reconciliation to win the hearts and minds of all Malaysians.

“Likewise, we (MCA) also remind our delegates that we take care of the community within a multi-racial country,” he said.

On the Government’s subsidy rationalisation, Dr Chua said the Government must put in place more initiatives to reduce the impact and financial burden on the lower income group and those caught in the middle income trap.