MCA president Ong Ka Ting’s efforts to be more vocal on thorny issues has come a little too late, said the party’s former vice-president Chua Jui Meng today.

He said MCA could have performed better in the elections if the president had raised these issues before March 8.

chua jui meng pc 130308 4 "In English, there is a saying - to lock the stable door after the horses have fled. If he was as vocal from 2004 onwards before the general election ... MCA wouldn’t have suffered so many losses," he told reporters after officiating the Malaysia-India Economic Conference 2008 in Subang Jaya.

In recent weeks, Ong had made numerous controversial statements on national policy matters and current affairs which observers note as being uncharacteristic of MCA which often plays its cards safe.

This includes calling for the government to allow those who convert to Islam because of marriage to renounce their religion if the marriage ends and criticising Kelantan regent Tunku Faris Petra for making racially sensitive remarks.

Help Perak MCA

On the same note, Chua said Ong’s efforts, albeit late, should be commended and encouraged.

"We need him to say such things. But why didn’t he say so earlier?" asked the former health minister who challenged Ong for the MCA presidency in 2005.

The former Bakri MP was dropped from this year’s election line up. The seat fell to DAP.

ong ka ting interview 140408 03 To another question, Chua said Ong should not hold on to his post as Johor MCA chief because the party’s position was secure in that state.

"Johor does not need help. Perak, Ong’s home state, needs help. He should go back and help his brother (Ka Chuan) to restore public confidence in MCA," he added.

Ka Chuan, who is the MCA secretary-general, has been retained as Perak MCA chief despite the party being nearly wiped out in the state during the March 8 polls. Perak is now under the control of the opposition alliance, Pakatan Rakyat.

Ka Chuan was the only one who survived a restructuring exercise announced last week, where the president replaced four MCA state chiefs in Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan - states which fell to the opposition.

Party polls

Meanwhile, Chua remained coy when asked if he would contest in the upcoming party elections, but strongly hinted that the present MCA leadership should be given the boot.

"We are moving towards a new two-party system. I believe that MCA is still relevant to the Chinese community but not in its current form. MCA must be reformed with a credible lineup of leaders," he said.

There is increasing pressure on Ong to quit as president since the party’s poor showing in the March 8 polls. He however has refused to do so but is mum on whether he would defend his post in the upcoming party polls scheduled for October.

Chua is seen as one of the possible candidates for the MCA presidency. Also named as a possible contender is former vice-president Chua Soi Lek who relinquished his post when a VCD depicting his sexual exploits became public in January.