MCA: Kajang seat is ours

Declaring that MCA will definitely contest in the Kajang by-election, top MCA leaders have slammed Anwar Ibrahim for not coming clean on his ambition to become menteri besar.

Levin Woon, FMT

Top MCA leaders said today Kajang has always been a MCA seat and they will definitely field a candidate for the by-election.

MCA president Liow Tiong Lai dismissed Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s remark that the candidate be chosen from among all component parties of Barisan Nasional.

Liow said the question of candidate should not arise because Kajang had always been a MCA seat.

“We will definitely field a candidate,” he said after chairing the MCA presidential council meeting today.

Speculations is rife that the party’s national organising secretary Yoo Wei How, a former Hulu Langat MCA division youth chief stands a bright chance to be nominated by MCA.

The Kajang seat fell vacant following the resignation of PKR assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh on Monday.

Anwar has been named the Pakatan Rakyat candidate for the seat.

MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong said if Anwar was a “world-class” leader as claimed by PKR deputy chief Azmin Ali this morning, he would not contest a state seat like Kajang without a valid reason.

“If Anwar is not aiming for the MB post why do you need to have a by-election? he asked.

‘If he is a world-class leader, why choose a small satay place to contest? Worse still, he doesn’t want to be a menteri besar.

“So he himself is a confused man,” he said, urging Anwar to come clean on his ambition to become MB.

“I’m sure later he is going to twist his words and say the rakyat wants him to be the MB. This is something we cannot accept,” he added.

PKR’s dwindling Malay supports

Azmin said this morning that the Kajang electorate should be grateful to have “a world-class leader” like Anwar to represent them.

Wee said PKR picked a mixed seat like Kajang because they know very well that their support in the Malay areas was dwindling following the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) raid fiasco.

“First, they said the Selangor government need not to be informed about the raid then they review the Jais’ standard operating procedure.

“Because of the flip-flop, they are not confident in the Malay areas, so they can only look for mixed areas,” he said.

Liow said Anwar made an about turn yesterday from his earlier statement on Monday that he was not going to contest in the Kajang seat.

“Yesterday, Anwar said he is not contesting to become the MB, but today Lee said he resigned to make way for the PKR leader to become state leader.

“All this shows that Anwar is manipulating democracy and taking Kajang constituents for a fool,” he said.