I refer to the Malaysiakini report entitled ‘Tee Keat not on MCA's list'.

At the outset, I must confess that I do not belong to any political party. I am just a young voter and a member of the educated populace or at least a literate one.

Like all my peers, I am out to seek politicians who are in sync with our desire for free and fair elections, a stable government of our choice which upholds the rule of law, separation of powers and protector of basic liberties of speech, assembly, religion and property.

In short, a government which upholds our federal constitution.

We have to get rid of politicians who are inefficient, tainted, corrupt, shortsighted, irresponsible, dominated by special interests and those incapable of adopting policies for the public good.

As the 13th GE drums beat louder, the floodgates have been torn apart - the scrambling to be nominated as candidates has begun.

We read that by consensus the BN component parties have left the selection of GE candidates to the BN chairperson -Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

In spite of this consensus, I am baffled as to why the MCA president discarded protocol and respect by announcing that "Ong Tee Keat is not in the MCA list of candidates".

He further announced an unknown greenhorn Gary Lim as BN's candidate for the Parliamentary seat of Pandan. This announcement is a personal affront to Najib as BN chairperson.

Politics is healthy. It only becomes dirty when leaders abuse their powers, make foolish rhetorical statements and create confusion and discord in that process.

Chua Soi Lek seems to have lost sight of the political realities on the ground.

Najib, on the other hand, is working tirelessly, round the clock, to reach out to all the rakyat in every nook and corner of our country but his detractors in Umno, Perkasa and Soi Lek are fuelling the fire of internal discontent.

They are oblivious of the new challenges of the entry of new voters that are young, educated and literate.

This young populace is not easily swayed by the BN old guards singing romantically about the beauty of BN's 55 years of purported achievements.

BN is at the crossroads. Najib cannot afford to see a BN held parliamentary constituency biting the dust. Pandan must survive the 13th GE.

To the rakyat - which better candidate can there be - except the five-term MP Ong Tee Keat to be fielded in Pandan.

Ong is the only MCA parliamentarian in Selangor to have survived the 2008 GE.

Ong has recognised that the office of MP holds a sacred trust. He has internalised the responsibility to uphold transparency, accountability and good governance to protect the image of the BN government and the interest of the rakyat.

I am convinced that Ong would not have climbed the long ladder to be MP, minister and a past MCA president without proving himself every inch of the way.

His uprightness and integrity have been proven again and again in his actions and in his grassroots' work in the public domain.

His dogged determination and service to uphold the government's commitment is an asset to Najib and our nation.

To me, with Najib at the helm, changes have arrived. His leadership requires him to make tough choices about processes and people.

Ong Tee Keat must be Najib's preferred choice if Pandan is to remain a BN constituency.