opinion Vice-president Ong Tee Keat who was handpicked by out-going party president Ong Ka Ting to run for the top post may be flying into some serious air turbulence this week despite a smooth campaign take-off more than a month ago.

Party watchers are staying alert on the sidelines, predicting a dip in popularity ratings of the 52-year old presidential candidate against his much older arch rival Chua Jui Meng, whose political comeback has been viewed with much scepticism within the party ranks.

ong tee keat Tee Keat, who is also transport minister, is under attack from all sides and to make matters worse, the unpopularity of out-going party president, Ka Ting and his elder brother, Ka Chuan, seems to have rubbed off on him, prompting even fence-sitters to shun the ‘Ong dynasty’.

However, everyone seems to agree that Tee Keat has the right leadership qualities, including the vocal courage to speak out against injustice and the intellectual depth to stand his ground in a debate. Even the Chinese dailies are declaring support, spinning stories on popularity ratings in favour of Tee Keat instead of his opponent, Chua Jui Meng.

So, what motivated Tee Keat’s dip in popularity? Could it be because his arch rivals have bucked up and are now taking no prisoners in the fight for votes?

chan kong choy Tee Keat, has from the start of his campaign, claimed that there was no electoral pact in the party and in the same breath denied being the ‘lone ranger’. But the past few weeks of campaigning have done him no favours as having the omnipresence of the party president and his deputy, Chan Kong Choy, in Tee Keat’s campaign trail.

At the launching of Tee Keat’s manifesto at MCA headquarters, an entourage comprising incumbent party president Ka Ting’s key supporters, including Ka Chuan, were present in a strong show of support.

It is clear to many that secretary-general Ka Chuan, known for his ‘street-wise’ real politicking and strategic manipulations in his home state of Perak, was piggy-backing on Tee Keat’s popularity.

The ‘I scratch your back, you scratch mine’ policy was beginning to show in the election campaign. The memories of the political damage caused by the Ong brothers are causing many to dread a‘combo-partnership’ of Ka Chuan and Tee Keat. They say another ‘Ong dynasty’ would be devastating, to say the least.

Poisonous tales making the rounds

In truth, some claim that despite the public goodwill between Ka Ting and Tee Keat, the long-standing suspicion between them remains. It is clear that ‘doublespeak’ in politics can be as easy as ‘eating lettuce’, or so the Cantonese saying goes. The neutrality of the party president and his deputy have been put in serious question.

ong ka chuan Will Ka Chuan deliver his estimated 50 percent of Perak-based votes to support Tee Keat on October 18? Further, will rivals of Ka Chuan deliver their votes to Tee Keat or to his challenger, Jui Meng?

Right from the beginning, party watchers predicted that Ka Chuan is a political liability to Tee Keat. The ‘Save MCA Campaign’ which made its presence felt in Perak and other states was a warning sign which Tee Keat chose to ignore.

Certain quarters also questioned why out-going deputy president Kong Choy was enthusiastically backing Tee Keat in the campaign trail. Others asked why Tee Keat refused to disclose details of the Port Klang Free Zone issue despite a promise to do so when he took over the transport ministry from Kong Choy.

ipoh mca anti ong dinner 070408 poster To forgo a voice in the debate going to be organised by Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau and ntv7, Tee Keat is allowing his rivals to dictate their agenda, spurring a backlash akin to using a hammer to crack an egg.

By turning it down, is Tee Keat equating his intellectual level to that of Ka Chuan’s, whose excuse was reportedly quoted (by Ka Chuan's aide) that he has never been in favour of such debates. Tee Keat’s refusal to take part in the debate is a clear message to delegates that they may be voting in a deputy president who might also not be brave enough to speak up in cabinet too.

Bias, like beauty, is often in the eyes of the beholder. Thus, fairness should prevail in the eyes of the delegates. But the campaign is getting muddier and dirtier.

More ‘time-bombs’ are going to explode, a rival camp member threatened without revealing more details. The target: Tee Keat.

Tales of corruption are making the rounds, both in print and via SMS, travelling with lightning speed to assassinate characters.

The ‘creator’ remains invisible as Tee Keat, being the target, found out. Detractors and rivals claimed the poison messages were the work of outsiders, and not party members. Furthermore, his rivals prompted him to lodge police reports to clear his name.

Alleging that Tee Keat has amassed RM21 million in property, the scandalous allegations are showing no signs of abating. To make matters worse, another ‘time-bomb’ is ticking away, claim his opponents.

The game is not about to end as the last 100-metre dash to the finishing line may not even happen if the candidate is clobbered even before he starts the race. In fact, the ‘real’ show is only beginning, with political pundits and commentators (like me) keeping close watch on every development.

Paying the price for power

Political campaigns can be like music with rising and falling notes, much like Tee Keat’s first challenge for a seat in the central committee way back in 1990 by obtaining only 976 votes, which placed him in the 20th position. In the next triennial elections in 1993, he moved up to the 13th position with 1,597 votes.

In 1996, he came out on top with 2,277 votes, to win a place on the central committee.

Some party watchers are now asking: will Ka Chuan be a good running mate for Tee Keat?

The picture is telling: Ka Chuan, in running for a central committee seat, never even made it to the 10th place between 1987 and 1996. In 1987, he was placed 17th, 15th in 1990, 19th in 1993 and only managed to move up to the 12th ranking in 1996.

chua soi lek 030108 chua jui meng 010605 Can Tee Keat survive an onslaught with Ka Chuan as his running-mate? Or will delegates instead choose the Chua Jui Meng-Chua Soi Lek as a partnership?

There are more questions now than answers. In the short week ahead, will Tee Keat and Jui Meng maintain their competitive edge? Will MCA face future political backlash for choosing the wrong candidates?

Whatever, the answer, one thing remains clear: politicking during an election period is more like political vengeance on someone rather than an election campaign. That is the price a party has to pay for not cultivating humane values and principles despite claims of maintaining a healthy political culture during the "Ong-Ong dynasty".