Ong Ka Ting could have spared himself the humiliation in MCA’s election last Sunday had he kept his promise to retire from party politics.

Driven by personal ambition masqueraded as a mission to ‘save’ the party, Ong had leaders of clan and business associations, scholars and the Chinese press – Sin Chew Daily in particular – drum up the momentum for him. He went on to make the shocking announcement of seeking a comeback once the fresh party polls were confirmed, only to be defeated by Chua Soi Lek, his arch rival for the past few years.