Former MCA vice-president Fong Chan Onn today urged party leadership to reconsider the decision to sack deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek from the party over a sex scandal.

NONE"He has apologised for the scandal and resigned as a minister and parliamentarian to take moral responsibility," Fong told reporters at a press conference today.

The veteran leader said the party should respect the decision of delegates who elected Chua as a deputy president at party polls last October.

"I think we should give Chua and president Ong (Tee Keat) a chance to work together to improve the party for the future.

"We cannot afford a split at the moment," he said as the party was trying hard to regain the support it had lost during the 2008 general election.

He also said that he was not in either's camp and refused to answer questions if he supported a call for an extraordinary general meeting be called to take action against Ong.

"We don't have the luxury to do this destructive activity (but) it's up to the central delegates to decide," he said.

"I continue to support Ong Tee Keat as president and Chua as deputy, as elected in the party elections. I see no basis for anybody to overturn the decision of the party delegates," said the former human resources minister who was dropped from the cabinet after the 2008 general election.

"Since my retirement, I have been quite inactive in the central level. I spent my time to look after my division (Alor Gajah) and my own little farm. So don't drag me into taking sides," added Fong, who is the MP for Alor Gajah.

'They never consult me'

He also refused to answer questions if there was any personal agenda in the decision to expel Chua.

When asked if he spoke to either Ong or Chua, Chan said: "They never consult me, and I have no position to talk to them really."

NONEThe MCA presidential council meeting last night endorsed a decision by the party's disciplinary committee to sack Chua from the party over his sex scandal which broke out at the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008.

Chua took full responsibility for the scandal and resigned as the health minister, member of parliament for Labis and party vice-president.

However he made a comeback by winning the deputy president's post 10 months ago.

His relationship with Ong had always been acrimonious with each claiming the other of trying to undermine him.