MCA president Ong Tee Keat is fighting battles on many fronts but according to his former deputy, the president's biggest enemy is none other than himself.

"MCA has gone through many struggles like all other political parties. You must have confidence. You must have confidence that people will support you, that you are doing the right thing.

"Do not fight your own shadows. Ong Tee Keat's biggest enemy is himself. Please quote me on that. He doesn't trust himself. He is easily swayed by people surrounding him. Everybody knows that," said Chua.

NONE Chua ( left ) said this during an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini last Friday, during the run up to his supporters submitting a letter to the party headquarters to request an extraordinary general meeting to reinstate him.

According to Chua, Ong is surrounded by a group of ‘Yes Men', whom he describes as young appointed leaders who do not dispense constructive advise to the party president.

Stressing his point, Chua claims that Ong has nothing to show for, after helming the party since being elected in October last year.

Chua described Ong as a captain who has failed to provide the MCA ship any direction and this was most evident during the past eight by-elections which saw Chinese voters voting firmly with Pakatan Rakyat.

"If you check his track record, he has done nothing. Nothing to show, even as a president. The only thing he has achieved is to sack me," said Chua.

‘Career built on eloquence alone'

On Aug 26, Chua was sacked by the party leadership based on the disciplinary board's recommendation after investigating claims that he had tarnished the party's image by being involved in a sex DVD scandal.

Detractors have claimed that the sacking was orchestrated by Ong to rid his self-professed enemy.

Chua laments that prior to his sacking, Ong was pre-occupied with attacking his credibility over a host of issues, including allegations that Chua was raising RM100 million to topple the party president, that Chua had gangster links and that he was forming a new party.

NONE "He has created a lot of nonsense. The grandfather of all nonsense is that, I'm trying to have a new party as a ‘Plan B'. I have no ‘Plan B'. We are confident the central delegates of MCA will ensure that the EGM and resolutions we proposed would be passed.

"He would also always try to tie me with Tiong (King Sing). I have nothing to do with Tiong. This is the greatest nonsense of all nonsense... If you look at Ong's ( left ) political career, it is built on his eloquence by smearing his opponents," he said.

Over the past several weeks, Ong's camp had been insinuating that Tiong aided Chua by bankrolling a RM100 million fund to topple the party president, who is also the Transport Minister.

As Transport Minister, Ong has commenced a series of investigations into the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, which was developed by Tiong's company Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd.

"If I had RM100 million, I would tell Ong: ‘Please... I don't want to get involved. That presidency is not worth RM100 million'. Okay?" said Chua, when asked about the allegation.

PKFZ issue misused

According to Chua, Ong was out to portray himself as a hero and by doing so, he accused him of bringing his ministerial function into the party.

"He turns a ministry function into a political problem. He is creating an image where only he is doing the job and everyone else is not interested. This is creating individual heroism and sacrificing the bigger picture.

"The bigger picture is BN and MCA. To him that is not important. He has no performance to show off. So he has to use this (PKFZ)," said Chua.

NONE In the process of doing so, Ong has unearthed a can of worms and exposed himself to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and police investigations after it became apparent that he and Tiong once enjoyed a cozy relationship.

Chua said this had tainted Ong's image despite the latter trying to use the PKFZ issue for political mileage and attempting to portray himself as "whiter than white".

Chua adds that Ong should not mix MCA's politics with the PKFZ probe because investigations were initiated on the cabinet's instructions.

He said that it was no surprise that after a litany of allegations against Ong's apparent cozy relationship with Tiong ( above ) surfaced, the cabinet has established a special task force to take over investigations of PKFZ.

"(Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) knows the rakyat is watching. If the task force doesn't succeed, the government will fall," warned Chua.

Q&A: We shall prevail, says Chua

Part 2

Ong a 'closed-door Umno-bashing hero'

Q&A: Too late to patch up with Ong