Tee Keat: How about Liow facing Anwar?
Published: Jan 30, 2014 12:00 PM | Updated: Jan 30, 2014 12:56 PM
Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat wants the paty to nominate its president Liow Tiong Lai to contest in the Kajang by-election, to prove MCA's transformation within 100 days of the new leadership.
UPDATED 1PM
This will end embarrassment of MCA's zero representation.
Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat wants the paty to nominate its president Liow Tiong Lai to contest in the Kajang by-election, to prove MCA's transformation within 100 days of the new leadership.
Ong, a former transport minister, said Liow's stature would have the desired parity, since national Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is to contest the Selangor state seat.
"In the perspective of partisan interest, the victory Liow delivers to BN will certainly enhance his position as Selangor MCA chairperson on one hand, and help save the party from the embarrassment of zero representation in the Selangor state assembly on the other.
"I call on the Kajang by-election central committee chairperson Wee Ka Siong to nominate Liow to be the MCA-BN candidate for Kajang," he said in a statement today.
The Kajang state seat fell vacant on Monday following its assemblyperson Lee Chin Cheh's abrupt resignation eight months after the 13th general election.
Ong said this would be a golden opportunity for Liow who won the party election last month as the MCA president.
"I suggest MCA must take a strong stand to show how it has transformed under Liow's new leadership, especially during his first 100 days of party presidency.
"Since the Kajang state seat has 40.4 percent ethnic composition of Chinese voters, the polling result would serve as a good litmus test of Chinese support for the party.
“MCA central delegates who voted in this transformational leader should have full confidence in his ability to win the seat for the party," he said.
On Lee's resignation, Ong said this is certainly a betrayal of trust of the Kajang people, adding that right-minded Malaysians are questioning the sincerity of Pakatan legislators who place party politics above the needs of the public mandate.
"The voters surely would not feel good being relegated to mere ‘pawns’ in a politician's game," he said.
Ong noted the recent unrest over the Allah issue in Selangor, church banners in Penang and the molotov cocktail attack on a Penang church resulted in worsening polorisation among Malaysia's population.
"I call on all parties to show maturity and stop this destructive form of partisan and factional politics that would only serve to exacerbate the prevailing polarisation.
“It is time for them to prove their commitment to nurturing the nation's harmony," said the former MCA president.
Ong, a former transport minister, said Liow's stature would have the desired parity, since national Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is to contest the Selangor state seat.
"In the perspective of partisan interest, the victory Liow delivers to BN will certainly enhance his position as Selangor MCA chairperson on one hand, and help save the party from the embarrassment of zero representation in the Selangor state assembly on the other."I call on the Kajang by-election central committee chairperson Wee Ka Siong to nominate Liow to be the MCA-BN candidate for Kajang," he said in a statement today.
The Kajang state seat fell vacant on Monday following its assemblyperson Lee Chin Cheh's abrupt resignation eight months after the 13th general election.
Ong said this would be a golden opportunity for Liow who won the party election last month as the MCA president.
"I suggest MCA must take a strong stand to show how it has transformed under Liow's new leadership, especially during his first 100 days of party presidency.
"Since the Kajang state seat has 40.4 percent ethnic composition of Chinese voters, the polling result would serve as a good litmus test of Chinese support for the party.
“MCA central delegates who voted in this transformational leader should have full confidence in his ability to win the seat for the party," he said.
On Lee's resignation, Ong said this is certainly a betrayal of trust of the Kajang people, adding that right-minded Malaysians are questioning the sincerity of Pakatan legislators who place party politics above the needs of the public mandate.
"The voters surely would not feel good being relegated to mere ‘pawns’ in a politician's game," he said.
Ong noted the recent unrest over the Allah issue in Selangor, church banners in Penang and the molotov cocktail attack on a Penang church resulted in worsening polorisation among Malaysia's population.
"I call on all parties to show maturity and stop this destructive form of partisan and factional politics that would only serve to exacerbate the prevailing polarisation.
“It is time for them to prove their commitment to nurturing the nation's harmony," said the former MCA president.
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