MCA purchased an Australia-based tertiary education centre three months ago at approximately A$13.2 million or RM27.3 million, according to information disclosed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) website.

Malaysiakini earlier reported that the party's purchase of Australian Institute for University Studies (AIUS) had come under fire from several leaders who charged that it was done without the party's knowledge or consent.

They said the central committee meeting was never informed of the decision to purchase the institute, adding that the party had no financial means for it, anyway.

The purchase was concluded early August through the MCA-owned Star Publications, the publisher of English daily The Star .

However, this was revealed by party president Dr Ling Liong Sik only last week at a dinner in Penang.

Ling reportedly refused to disclose the purchase cost, beyond that it was "ideal".

And last week, the party's central committee member Donald Lim Siang Chai said that the acquisition need not be brought to the party's central committee for discussion or approval since the purchase was done through Star Publications.

Lim is one of the prominent figures in the 'Team A' of the deeply divided party that was split into two following its controversial purchase of Nanyang Press Holdings last year. Team A is led by Ling and Team B, by his deputy Lim Ah Lek.

When met at the Parliament's lobby on Thursday, Lim said he had been informed of the purchase but had "forgotten" the price.

Rich party

However, his view that the central committee need not decide on the deal was challenged by party vice president Ong Tee Keat who said that since it involved a vast sum, party leaders had the right to know the details.

"By right the purchase needs to be brought to the central committee meeting and discussed, because Star Publications is also controlled by the party," he said when contacted yesterday.

"Yet it was never raised in the party's presidential and central committee meetings. We are just ignorant as an outsider," he added.

Ong, who is also the party's Youth chief, further quipped: "It looks like the party is so rich."

Last May, MCA obtained a RM230 million bank loan for the purchase of Nanyang Press Holdings the publisher of dailies Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press after placing its shares in Star Publication as collateral.

The deal then sparked off a volley of protest from the Chinese community who feared that the dailies' editorial integrity would be undermined under political paymasters.

Last month, the party through Star Publications purchased Radio Rediffusion Sdn Bhd (RRSB) for RM24.3 million.

RRSB owns the popular Chinese language radio station 988 and another bilingual (English and Malay) radio channel, RED 104.9.

Fund-raising for Utar

Yet on the other hand, MCA has been actively organising several fund-raising campaigns for its newly established Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) in Petaling Jaya since last month.

The party's four cabinet ministers were tasked to raise at least RM2 million in donations each. Other party leaders have also been told to raise funds.

Former party vice-president and current new village affairs bureau chief Yap Pian Hon pointed out the irony of money going out for the purchase at the same time money was needed for Utar.

"It would repel the Chinese community as the party is raising funds for Utar from them despite earlier assurances (during the proposal stage) that we won't (be taxing them for their money)," he said when contacted.

"I do not see the necessity to buy an Australian institute of learning as we have many local universities and higher learning education centres where our students can further their studies," he added.

The13.8 hectare AIUS campus is located in Perth. Established in 1987, it has links with two renowned Australian institutions, namely the Curtin University of Technology and Monash University.