MCA holding fresh polls will only divide the party and make it weaker, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

bukit gantang by election mahathir ceramah and luncheon 060409 08 "Because the people who lose will not be reconciled. So in the end you will have a weaker party," he told reporters after a function in Putrajaya.

He said the problem now in the MCA, MIC or Umno was jostling for leadership positions.

"They are not thinking about the party, the party is just a horse on which they ride. And they think that by associating themselves with a political party, they can get something in return," he said.

Mahathir was asked on reports in newspapers today that Wanita MCA wanted MCA to hold fresh polls.

Leaders not interested in the country

He said splits were happening in political parties because their leaders were not interested in the country or the interests of their respective parties.

MCA has been embroiled in a leadership crisis over a year now. The party held an extraordinary ordinary general meeting on Oct 10 to try and resolve it but not all the feuding factions were satisfied with the outcome, hence, the call for fresh polls to be held.

NONE Commenting on rumors that former PKR member Badrul Hisham Abdullah, who is Port Klang assemblyperson, planned to join Umno, Mahathir said he did not know whether Umno would accept him because he allegedly did not function as an assemblyperson.

"I think Umno should know better whether he can function or not," he said.

But in terms of numbers, Mahathir said, if Umno wanted to achieve a higher number (of elected representatives), Umno might accept him because "they are not going to make him a prime minister, deputy prime minister or minister." - Bernama