Soi Lek: Don’t ask me about MCA seats, all up to PM

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Apr 11, 2013

(The Malaysian Insider) – Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek berated the media today for constantly pushing him to answer questions on his or his MCA’s contest in the polls, pointing out that the final decision lies solely in the hands of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Met on the sidelines of the Barisan Nasional (BN) divisional meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) this afternoon, the MCA president refused to entertain the questions and turned around instead to question the motive behind them.

“PM already told you people that there is no final decision. Why must we keep repeating the same thing again and again?” he said.

“You all must understand. The PM already has the final say. No final decision (has been made). So you don’t need to sibuk-sibuk (be busybodies), hoping that I say something different from the PM.

“And then you can create another crisis – (that MCA has) differing views. What’s the purpose? No purpose,” Dr Chua added. Dr Chua (picture)was asked at first to reveal if he would be entering the coming polls contest and to state his chosen seat, to which he replied, “Don’t talk about myself. Talk about BN first.”

Sources recently told The Malaysian Insider that the former minister had recently declined the offer to contest in Gelang Patah where Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is fielding DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, leaving BN to consider other choices for what is expected to be the hottest battle in Umno’s home state of Johor.

The Malaysian Insider also understands MCA is pushing for caretaker Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman to fight the DAP adviser but an unsettled Malay ground and pro-opposition Chinese voters could scuttle those plans.

“Some in the BN war room thought it would be a titanic fight and that Dr Chua is strong enough to face Kit but the MCA president said no,” a BN source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the veteran opposition leader by his moniker Kit.

“Now other choices are being considered as the final list must be ready by Tuesday,” the source added.

PR announced last month that Lim was to run in Gelang Patah, and spearhead the opposition pact’s push to pick up more federal seats in Johor. Soi Lek was then dared by the DAP to face Lim but the MCA president declined the challenge last week.

The MCA had earlier named local division leader Jason Teoh to run in the federal seat won by Johor Wanita MCA chief and deputy national vice-chairman Tan Ah Eng in Election 2008 when she retained the seat by defeating PKR’s Zaliha Mustafa by 8,851 votes.

Lim’s political arch-foe Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad called the move from Ipoh TImor “ridiculous”, calling BN members to bury the DAP adviser’s political career and said the local Chinese would not give support.

Lim then asked Dr Mahathir to run against him but was turned down. Since then, MCA-controlled newspaper The Star has been reporting that Ghani was popular with the electorate and would be ideal to face the veteran DAP leader.

However, it is learnt that BN has not included the caretaker Johor mentri besar in its candidates list due to a pushback from the local Malay community upset with rising costs and being elbowed out of the fast-developing and pricy Iskandar Malaysia economic corridor.