MCA vice-president Chew Mei Fun was found on the same stage with Negri Sembilan Perkasa chief Ruslan Kassim in Kajang last week, pro-Pakatan Rakyat bloggers have revealed.

According to blogger Omakkau, Chew and Ruslan spoke on the same stage during a national economic briefing session organised by Umno at Teratak Pekembar, Kampung Batu 10 in Cheras, on Feb 28.

A photo , found on Chew's official Facebook fan page, showed her with Ruslan.

Chew is BN’s pick for the March 23 Kajang by-election. MCA and Perkasa do not get along with each other as MCA has always labelled the right-wing Malay group as “extremist”.

Contacted by Malaysiakini this afternoon, Ruslan confirmed that he was on stage with Chew at the event but said he was not there in his capacity as the Negeri Sembilan Perkasa chief.

'Perkasa was not involved'

Instead, he said, he was there in his capacity of “former PKR national publicity chief”.

Ruslan ( left ), who is also Perkasa national publicity chief, added: “Perkasa was not involved. I was there on my own.”

According to him, Chew arrived when he was delivering his speech and she left for another function soon after making her speech.

He also confirmed that Umno publicity chief Ahmad Maslan and Sekinchan Ikan Bakar restaurant owner Jamal Md Yunus were there as well.
 
Jamal had led a group of traders to set up market stalls in front of former Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson S Ambiga two years ago.

This was to protest against Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28, 2011, which they claimed, affected their business.

Ruslan became the PKR national publicity when the party was founded, but he left in 2004 to join Umno.

Meanwhile, Chew claimed she did not remember whether she was same stage with any Perkasa leader recently.

“I leave right after I finish my speech at a function every time, for I need to attend many ceramah sessions every day.

“I do not remember whether there were Perkasa (leaders),” she told reporters after handing over Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) aid to the local people in Kajang today.

However, Chew said, all the functions she had attended so far were organised by Umno and she maintained that she has always opposed the extreme actions and remarks of Perkasa.

Chew also hoped that MCA could garner 25 to 27 percent of the Chinese votes in this by-election. It only garnered less than 18 percent of the Chinese votes in Kajang during the 13th general election.