Jui Meng quits MCA, joins PKR

Former health minister Chua Jui Meng today quit MCA to join PKR, making him the most senior BN politician to have defected to the opposition.

"I am resigning as a member of MCA and with the permission of PKR's de facto leader (Anwar Ibrahim), I'm announcing that I'm joining PKR," he told a crowd of 1,000, which responded with loud shouts of 'reformasi'.

"I'm convinced that today I'm standing on the right side of history, especially at this defining critical moment of our history, in joining PKR."

In hearing the response of the jubilant crowd, Chua quipped: “You know, I never got so much applause like that ever in MCA.”

He and Anwar appeared together this afternoon at PKR's 'The Truth Behind the Scandals: Perak, PKFZ and the BN Conspiracy' forum in Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa.

The forum participants applauded as Chua and Anwar entered the hall at 3.30pm. A banner 'Congratulations to Chua for joining PKR' was unfurled as the former MCA vice-president walked in.

According to Chua, he decided to join PKR because Umno was undermining the country's two-coalition political system.

He added that the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the political aide of Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was the “tipping point” in his decision to defect.

Teoh's body was found on Thursday sprawled on the roof of an adjacent building after he had undergone questioning late into the night at the offices of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

In joining PKR, Chua said he was taking a "new journey, a journey of change".

Chua was accompanied by former MCA senator David Yeoh Eng Hock and former Lumut parliamentarian Yap Yit Thong - both of whom also announced they were joining PKR, which drew a thunderous applause from the crowd.

Pakatan seeks to regain momentum

Malaysiakini had on Thursday reported that Chua would defect to PKR. On that day, Chua called an emergency meeting of his Bakri MCA division where he resigned as its division chief after 23 years.

It is believed that the opposition is seeking to use Chua's defection to regain momentum for the opposition which has been floundering due to internal bickering and a resurgent Barisan Nasional under new Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The other senior former minister to have recently joined PKR was former Umno leader Zaid Ibrahim.

Chua, 64, had contested for the MCA president's post twice and lost to two Ongs - Ong Ka Ting in 2005 and Ong Tee Keat in 2008.

He was not picked to defend his Bakri parliamentary seat last year.

The seat was subsequently won by DAP's Er Teck Hwa - making Bakri the sole parliamentary seat in Johor to fall to the opposition in the 2008 general elections.

Chua: Wow, nine times

Chua said BN’s power grab in Perak and the wooing of PAS by Umno to form a unity government based on race and religion have both contradicted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s ‘1Malaysia’ motto.

“What will happened to the Chinese, Indians and other races? And of course, there is the prosecution of the PKR de facto leader once again for sodomy.”

Chua said that although Anwar had been acquitted by the Federal Court years ago, he was now been charged again for sodomy.

“I’ve heard that Anwar was charged for allegedly sodomising Saiful (Bukhari Azlan) eight times...,” said Chua.

He was quickly corrected by the crowd that the actual number was nine times.

“Wow, nine times! Then I take off my hat to you, sir - 62-year-old and can sodomise nine times although he has a medical history...

“Not only should you be the head of the opposition, you should be the prime minister!” he joked as Anwar, who was sitting at the other end of the stage, looked flustered.

To be given a ‘prominent’ post

At the press conference later, Anwar said that Chua would be given a major role to play in PKR.

“Chua’s role will be the prominent one. Other than the supreme council, I would seek the approval of the president (Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) and the political bureau to immediately accept him (as appointed member),” he said.

However, Chua brushed aside suggestions that he quit MCA because he would be given a top position in PKR.

“I joined the party without condition. There is also no condition set by Anwar before I join PKR,” he said.

On his relationship with MCA boss Ong, the former party vice-president said that they would have a healthy respect for each other although he has chosen to go on separate ways.

“He is my friend and he is a man of ideals and principles. I respect him for that and I think he will accept me for that too. I believe that our relationship will continue as friends,” he said.

Q & A with Chua

Why did you deny (on Thursday) that you were joining PKR?

I was wrongly quoted - I never denied and I never confirmed. I did tell them (journalists) that you would know when the time is right.

I always maintained that one must be consistent, don’t tell lies. If you can’t tell people now, tell them to wait. And in any case what I said in Bakri, in terms of the need for major reforms - deep reforms not superficial reforms - the journalists should have understood...

Have you submitted your resignation to (MCA president) Ong Tee Keat?

I will be doing it, I have announced it. I did announce my resignation just now, this other thing is just the formality of sending a letter.

Are you disappointed with where the MCA is heading to?

No, I’m not going to touch on that - whether I’m disappointed or not. There is some reluctance, of course, as to why I have left MCA.

Before this, I have issued two manifestoes - in 2005 and 2008. I have compared the contents of the manifestoes and the vision of Anwar and his Malaysian agenda in the last general elections. I see many areas of commonalities where there can be in agreement. That was the thing that really persuaded me that PKR is the right channel for me to join.

My life, my career, (all this while) I have make sure that the government takes care of all the races. What I’m going do is to help him (Anwar) achieve his Malaysian agenda.

What took you so long to join PKR?

Very simple, I have stated this very clearly. I wanted to reform MCA. You may not know this, when I campaigned for presidency, (I argued that) MCA should reform whether or not Umno reforms itself. If Umno refuses and only initiates superficial reforms, then MCA must come out of Barisan Nasional.

Did you join PKR because you lost in the MCA president contest?

That does not arise at all. I could lose and win, and it is the same with me. When I lost last year to Ong Tee Keat, I right away invited him to my division in Bakri and told the Chinese community over there that we have no problem in contesting against each other.

When we contest based on principles, we can still remain friends.