MCA and Gerakan did not discuss the niggling problem involving their seat allocations in the first merger talks between the two political parties held last night although a general election is expected to be called soon.

"This (meeting) is not a right platform," MCA deputy president Chan Kong Choy told a press conference after the 90-minutes meeting at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

His Gerakan's counterpart, Kerk Choo Ting, when pressed on the parties' seat distribution - especially in the frontline state of Penang - also said the issue was not raised at the talks.

Nonetheless, both leaders said the "first and most urgent" agenda at the meeting was the impending polls, while the proposed merger between the two rivals in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was a "long-term goal".

Enhance cooperation

Chan said MCA and Gerakan had agreed to organise programmes which will enhance cooperation and foster deeper ties between the two parties in the run-up of the general election, including helping each other during the election campaigning.

He said he did not foresee any problems between the two parties to work together since they had been cooperating under the BN roof for decades.

On the proposal merger, he said the parties shared the same understanding that the merger was possible but the matter should be further explored. He reiterated that the merger was a long-term goal.

When asked how long-term the goal was, Chan replied: "Definitely it is not tomorrow."

Gerakan's Kerk described their first meeting as cordial following recent informal cooperation between the two parties on Chinese education.

He said the parties' different political ideologies such as multi-racialism - while MCA is Chinese-based, Gerakan is nominally multi-racial - will only be ironed out at the "second stage" of the merger talks.

Kerk added that a major indication of the possibility of MCA-Gerakan merger will depend very much on how successful their cooperation is in the coming general elections.

"If we could work together happily in the elections, for sure it will increase the possibility of merger," Kerk said.

Apart from Chan, the MCA was represented by vice-president Dr Fong Chan Onn, Youth chief Ong Tee Keat and Wanita chief Dr Ng Yen Yen. However, party central committee member Dr Sak Cheng Lum was absent.

Meanwhile, Gerakan was led by Kerk, along with vice-president Dr S Vijayaratnam, secretary-general Chia Kwang Chye, Youth chief Mah Siew Keong and Wanita chief Rhina Bhar.

A new beginning?

Yesterday's meeting marked a new chapter in the history of the two Chinese-dominated parties - which have been known to be at loggerheads for decades ever since Gerakan was founded.

MCA second president Dr Lim Chong Eu co-founded Gerakan in 1968 along with Dr Tan Chee Khoon, Prof Syed Hussein Alattas and Prof Wong Gungwu.

Lim, who was the MCA president in 1958, left the party 16 months later citing bitter differences with the leadership.

The enmity between the parties continued to this day - Lim was the only MCA chief whose photograph is not displayed at the party's headquarters.

A major bone of contention between the two parties is the post of chief minister in the Chinese majority state of Penang.

A Gerakan-led coalition, then in the opposition, defeated the MCA-led state government in 1969. Since then, MCA has harboured the ambition to rule the state once again.

It had its best chance shortly after the 1999 general elections after two Gerakan state assemblypersons defected to MCA

With the defections, MCA controlled 11 state seats compared to nine held by Gerakan. However, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad gave his backing to Gerakan to retain control of the state government in Penang despite its minority status.

So far, it is uncertain which party will be contesting the two state seats held by the defectors - Dato Keramat and Bayan Lepas.

Also a point of contention between the two are the nine new seats in Penang - seven of which are the all-important state seats.