MCA president Ong Tee Keat is unfazed by media speculation as to whether he would be able garner enough support to defend his post at the party's polls on March 28.

mca agm 070310 ong tee keat 04 He said turnouts at gatherings organised by candidates vying for the post should not be used as a yardstick of support.

"I feel it is not a benchmark if certain parties assess the strength of any candidate based on the numbers attending certain lunch or dinner gatherings," he told was quoted by Bernama as saying in Batu Pahat today.

Ong said he believed that some of the voting delegates might choose to abstain from attending any functions, but this did not mean that they had no stand.

The Transport Minister said media speculation was part of the psychological warfare in elections and that he had confidence in the delegates to make the right choice.

He said his main thrust now was to tell delegates and non-delegates the real story of what had happened leading to to the current scenario in the party and how 'hidden forces' and 'hidden hands' had been involved.

So far, he said, he had just told the people the bare facts without making any inferences, as his approach was a non-confrontational one.

On a possible three-cornered fight for the presidency, Ong said it was too early to prejudge anything before tomorrow's nomination day.

'I belong to no faction'

In Melaka, meanwhile, former MCA president Ong Ka Ting said he does not belong to any team, faction or associated to any, in his efforts to contest the party president's post.

ong ka ting interview 200310 05 Ka Ting reiterated that he would not form an alliance with anybody but welcomed anybody's support in his efforts to unite the party.

"If there is anyone supporting me, or faction, that will be the overall MCA faction," he told reporters after meeting MCA delegates in Melaka.

The nominations for candidates has been set for tomorrow while polling takes place on March 28.

Ong said if he was elected as president of the party, he was willing to work with anybody elected by the delegates, including the deputy president and vice presidents.

"My role is to unite everyone in MCA. So, I will have no problem working with anyone elected by the delegates although some may fully support me and some may not fully agree with me," he said.

He added that most of the leaders vying for posts had worked and supported him when he was the president and that they were no strangers to him because they had worked as a team before.

"My decision to contest for the presidency has continued to garner support from the delegates and party members," he said.