KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 – The MCA faces a “do-or-die battle” in the upcoming general election and must employ new strategies to face the battle, said its president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (pic).
For the polls, the party has relinquished the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat which is now set to be the battleground between Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang.
MCA will contest in 37 parliamentary and 90 state seats, three parliamentary seats short of its allocation in the 2008 polls, with 68 new faces among its 127 candidates.
Gelang Patah was retained in 2008 for BN by MCA deputy Wanita chief Tan Ah Eng, who, however will not be contesting and it was earlier reported that the seat would be taken over by first timer Jason Leong.
“This upcoming GE is a do-or-die battle for MCA, so we should set our differences aside and ensure all BN candidates will emerge victorious because the outcome of the GE will affect MCA’s political future and the nation,” said Dr Chua in a statement.
“The ultimate goal for MCA is to ensure that BN will continue to form the government after the GE. To those who are not being selected as candidates, I can understand your divisions’ frustrations and disappointment. But I sincerely hope that the party members will place the interest of the party as priority and let’s show our loyalty and love to the party. We shall stay united in facing the GE,” said Dr Chua who is not contesting also.
Apart from Gelang Patah, Kuantan and Wangsa Maju were dropped from the MCA list. Also dropped were Pandan incumbent and former party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, ending months of speculation if he would still be fielded. Ong is replaced by 39-year-old lawyer Garry Lim Chin Yee, the legal advisor for the MCA Pandan division, and his rival is PKR’s strategic director Rafizi Ramli.
Two vice-presidents, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, the incumbent for Raub, and Senator Gan Ping Sieu, earlier tipped for the Kluang parliamentary seat, were also sidelined.
Central committee member and Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Senator Datuk Heng Seai Kie will make her election debut in the Padang Serai parliamentary constituency where PKR will field N.Surendran.
The Kulai parliamentary seat will be defended by the division’s deputy chairman, Tay Chin Hein, 45, in place of former president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting who is not seeking re-election.
Ong’s elder brother and former party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan will be seeking a second term in the Tanjung Malim parliamentary constituency.
At 70, Datuk Yap Pian Hon who is mounting a bid to regain the Serdang parliamentary seat after his loss in 2008 is the oldest MCA candidate, while the party’s youngest challenger is 25-year-old Daniel Wa Wai How who is standing for the Keranji state seat in Perak. He is special officer to Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong, who is defending the Kampar parlimentary seat.
The MCA has swapped two state seats with Jelapang going to MIC in exchange for Sungkai, and Tanah Rata for Gerakan’s Ketari seat in Pahang. The party is given the Luyang state seat in Sabah to replace Kota Laksamana in Melaka which will be contested by the People’s Progressive Party.
The MCA still has to name the candidates for the state seats of Teras in Pahang and Parit Yaani in Johor. Overall, 19 candidates or 51 per cent of the 37 MCA parliamentary candidates are first timers. For the state contests, the party has picked 49 new faces, representing 54 per cent of the 90 candidates.
– BERNAMA
