Soi Lek ups attack on MCA leadership

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — The sniping between former MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and the current MCA leadership reached another level when Dr Chua hit out at the latter for not reacting to last Saturday's Bar Council forum.

Dr Chua, in his personal blog www.drchua9.blogspot.com, said: "One of the attributes the next MCA president should have is the ability to speak out for the Chinese community and for Malaysians of all races and religions."

The statement was read by many as being directed at MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat who is contesting the MCA president post in the Oct 18 party polls.

Dr Chua added: "So far, I have not heard much from my party's senior leaders about how they feel about what happened at last Saturday's Bar Council forum on the effects of conversion to Islam.

"Perhaps they are still busy campaigning. Some of my party's leaders are also busying themselves with talk about morality and apologies, instead of making a stand on an issue which concerns us all," he said in his latest posting in his blog yesterday.

Dr Chua and Ong seem to be embroiled in a cyber debate since last week when Dr Chua outlined the criteria for the next MCA president in his blog, stating that "he has to be a team player, team builder and should not be aloof and distant from the feelings of the community".

This remark is apparently directed at Ong, who is known in party circles as a "lone ranger".

Ong, in his reply through the media last Saturday, pointed out that leaders who were hoping to make a political comeback could not expect to wipe the slate clean of their wrongdoings with mere apologies.

"I merely touched on existing norms. Norms that are not set by me. Why must certain personalities be so fearful of such norms being mentioned?

"Mobilising ghost writers on a massive attack on me would not cleanse one's misdeeds or change the norms. This could be likened to ostriches burying their heads in the sand," said Ong, who also posted the same statement in his personal website, www.ongteekeat.net on Sunday.

Although Ong did not name the leaders, the statement has been perceived as referring to Dr Chua's sex scandal.

Early this year, Dr Chua quit from all party and Cabinet posts after admitting that he was the man in the sex video which was widely distributed in Johor.

-TMI