Soi Lek appointed BN coordinator in Pakatan states

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — In a move that appears tailored to rein in maverick MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek into Barisan Nasional’s (BN) central leadership, the coalition's supreme council today announced that he has been made its chief coordinator.

The former health minister, who was not given a senatorship that would have enabled him to be appointed into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s month-old Cabinet, will be tasked with coordinating BN’s efforts in the four states currently governed by Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

This comes after a protracted tussle with his president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat since the party polls last October.

In that time, Dr Chua has made several controversial statements, including a recent call for fresh polls to be held in Perak to end the constitutional crisis that began when BN engineered a putsch on February 5 despite Umno’s insistence that state elections are not necessary.

This culminated in a meeting with PAS vice president Datuk Husam Musa over the weekend where he affirmed his stand that fresh elections were necessary to form a stable government.

When met by reporters, Ong claimed that he had brokered the appointment directly with Najib to give MCA a bigger role in BN.

“I met with the prime minister twice to discuss the appointment of Dr Chua so that we can have a greater representation for MCA,” he said.

Dr Chua however, left without speaking to reporters but has called a press conference for tomorrow evening.