MCA leader Chua Jui Meng, who yesterday quit as chief of his party’s division in Bakri, Johor, will be making a “special announcement” at a function tomorrow.

According to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, the former MCA vice-president plans to attend ‘The Truth Behind the Scandals: Perak, PKFZ and the BN Conspiracy’ forum to be held at 2.30pm in Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa.

chua jui meng beauty queens 191006 jimmy chua “Former health minister Dr Chua Jui Meng will be making a special announcement on the same day,” said Anwar in a blog posting.

Chua, who had been Bakri MCA division chief for 23 years, will be accompanied by former MCA senator Yeoh Eng Hock at the PKR event.

Malaysiakini has yesterday reported that Chua was set to defect to PKR on Saturday.

When asked about the Malaysiakini report, Chua yesterday said this was not the first time that there had been talk of him joining the opposition.

"At the last general election, I was made an offer to contest as an opposition candidate but I rejected it," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Pakatan seeks to regain momentum

Chua had called an emergency meeting of his Bakri MCA division last night where he resigned as its division chief. His deputy, Sia Ka Tuan, has been appointed as the division's acting chief.

The outgoing division chief urged members of the division to give their undivided support to MCA president Ong Tee Keat.

It is believed that the opposition is seeking to use Chua’s defection to regain momentum for the opposition which has been floundering due to internal bickering and a resurgent Barisan Nasional under new Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Chua, 64, had contested for the MCA president’s post twice and lost to two Ongs - Ong Ka Ting in 2005 and Ong Tee Keat in 2008.

Chua was not picked to defend his Bakri parliamentary seat in the last general elections.

The seat was subsequently won by DAP's Er Teck Hwa. Bakri is the sole parliamentary seat in Johor which fell to the opposition in the 2008 general elections.