PRESIDENT ONG TEE KEAT?

The race for the top post in MCA heats up as party vice-president Ong Tee Keat announced that he will be vying for the party’s presidency in October.

According to the Star, Tee Keat made this announcement during the installation of Serdang Federation of Chinese Guilds and Associations’ new office bearers in Seri Kembangan yesterday.

“In view of incumbent Ong Ka Ting’s decision not to seek re-election, I offer myself amid such an unprecedented testing time for the party,” he was quoted as saying.

Tee Keat's move is not a total surprise as he has already been touted as the frontrunner for the post since Ka Ting's announcement that he would step down as president come October.

Ka Ting had announced that he would not defend his president’s post on June 28, on grounds that a leader should not hold on to one's position for too long.

It is also a move to instill a healthy political culture in MCA which includes grooming leaders as part of its renewal and rejuvenation process.

"The MCA also believes in the need to ensure a smooth succession plan. Over the past six years, many young and talented MCA leaders have emerged and these party leaders must be given the opportunity to serve the country, community and party in a more effective way," he said then.

Race is wide open

MCA deputy president Chan Kong Choy has also announced that he will not be seeking re-election for his post.

Previously, Tee Keat said he would not contest if Ka Ting is keen to continue but in light of the latter’s announcement, the leadership race has been thrown wide open.

However, Tee Keat who is also transport minister added that he has a right to contest for any post in MCA if the top two party leaders are not defending their posts.

In the 2005 party polls, Tee Keat garnered the third highest number of votes among the four vice-presidents, after Dr Fong Chan Onn and Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The fourth vice-president is former deputy tourism minister Donald Lim, who failed to retain his parliamentary seat in the recent general election.

Other frontrunners for the top posts are party secretary-general and Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Chuan and Youth Chief and Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

Despite resigning from his vice presidency due to a sex scandal, Soi Lek has been paving his way back to the leadership platform and is said to be keen to contest for a top post.

Another former vice-president Chua Jui Meng is expected to join the fray after being nominated for the Sungai Abong Tengah branch chairperson's post by his supporters during a nomination process at the MCA Bakri division office in June.

MCA - the second largest component party in Barisan Nasional - has a total of 191 divisions with keen campaigning expected in Johore, Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kuala Lumpur come nomination day on July 22.