'Obama' Chua: Where's my 'Hillary' Ong?

MCA presidential hopeful Chua Jui Meng went solo at a public forum last night, mocking opponent Ong Tee Keat’s no-show by saying, “I feel like Obama, but where’s my Hillary?”

Tee Keat had turned down the offer of a face-off with Jui Meng, resulting in the much anticipated debate being converted into a forum.

Jui Meng took the opportunity to express his opinions on various issues as well as to criticise Tee Keat, including his suggestion for direct elections for the party president’s post.

“Direct elections are too troublesome. MCA has more than 1 million members, so how are we going to monitor this? There are also a lot of phantom members around so I think we must be more realistic,” he said.

During the hour-long forum, Chua repeatedly stressed that MCA must strive to be a clean party with high moral standards. He even made a solemn promise that, if he is elected, he will not be involved in corruption.

“I raise my hand and reaffirm, I, Chua Jui Meng, will never be corrupt,” he said to loud applause at the Nanyang auditorium in Kelana Jaya. The event was organised by television station ntv7 and Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau.

Chua explained his manifesto and answered questions from guests including MCA veteran Michael Chen (wearing dark tie) and Chinese Chambers of Commerce deputy secretary-general David Chua (red tie) , journalists, party members and the public.

To a question on whether MCA should leave Barisan Nasional (BN), Chua said such a drastic move should be thought through carefully.

“When you have a fight with your wife, you don’t propose divorce immediately. We should negotiate and try to restore the balance in the BN.”

He said MCA should give Umno a chance to reform itself, adding however that “if negotiations between MCA and Umno fail, delegates will think it’s time to leave”.

In concluding his speech, Chua used a metaphor to illustrate the relationship between MCA and the Chinese Malaysian community.

“The Chinese community is the water and MCA is the fish. Water doesn’t need fish, but fish can’t do without the water.”

Political interference?

Jui Meng also claimed that the ban on the planned ‘live’ telecast of the forum was due to “political interference”.

“Why should an Umno minister interfere in MCA internal affairs? We know that there was an invisible hand behind the whole incident, to make sure that no central delegate will hear our message,” he alleged without mentioning names.

“I want to ask the government, who is the invisible hand behind all this? Who is profiting from it? Why should an Umno minister interfere in MCA internal affairs?”

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had prevented the ‘live’ telecast, claiming that the application had been submitted late. Instead, a recording will be shown tomorrow night.

Tuesday’s debate between two candidates for the deputy president’s post, Dr Chua Soi Lek and Donald Lim, had been disallowed as well. The recording will be aired on ntv7 at 8pm tonight.

However, Jui Meng claimed that central delegates will not have a chance to watch the recordings, as many will be on their way to Kuala Lumpur today, while a banquet will be held tomorrow night ahead of party polls on Saturday.

Asked later to name the minister, Jui Meng answered with a smile: “You (reporters) should know who it is.”

Soi Lek had earlier claimed that the person who interfered was likely to be someone with a ministerial post.

This appears to narrow the likely persons to Ong Ka Chuan (left) , the housing and local government minister who is also contesting the MCA deputy presidency; and Shaziman Abu Mansor (right) , who holds the energy, water and communications portfolio and therefore has jurisdiction over MCMC.

Malaysiakini was unable to obtain comments from the MCMC.

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