Trouble has flared up again between the two rival factions in MCA with a Team B member claiming he was a victim of a smear campaign linking him with alleged vice activities in Serdang, Selangor.

Serdang Member of Parliament Yap Pian Hon said a report in a Chinese daily today which highlighted the 'plight' of 28 wives of Serdang MCA members who complained that their husbands frequented brothels in Serdang is "politically motivated".

"It is a political agenda against Team B. This report is an excuse to wallop me and Team B," he told malaysiakini when contacted.

"I am not involved, I have nothing to fear and my conscience is clear," he said.

Yap was referring to the contents of a letter purportedly addressed to MCA Wanita chief Dr Ng Yen Yen.

The letter, published in Sin Chew Daily , stated that the women were worried about their family as their husbands and sons were "clients of locally operated brothels".

They said they were afraid of contracting AIDS and feared that their families would break up because their husbands and sons did not return home often.

'No action'

In the letter, the signatories claimed they had approached Yap, Sri Kembangan state assembly representative Liew Yuen Keong and the local Wanita MCA, but no action was taken over the alleged activities.

"We suspect that the brothels are backed by local politicians because the police have not taken any action against the brothels which operate in mini-hotels," said the letter.

When contacted, Dr Ng said she was on leave up to the end of the week and would not comment until she sees the letter.

Yap is linked to the party's embattled Team B headed by deputy president Lim Ah Lek. The problems between the two factions came to a head during the takeover of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press by MCA last year, headed by leaders linked to Team A.

This latest controversy appears to be a way of getting back at Team B after the faction organised a mega-event dubbed 'super new hope dinner' attended by 26,000 people in Seremban last month as a show of strength for the faction.

Coincidentally, Internet postings appeared in several Chinese-language electronic groups today, also linking Yap to the management of the brothels, which he categorically denied.

Names not in registry

Meanwhile, Yap said he had compared the list of names in the published letter against the MCA registry and found that they did not match.

He said he has not received any complaints yet from the group of women said to be involved.

However, the veteran politician said he was aware of the speculation about alleged vice activities in Serdang, and he had raised the matter with the police and Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

He said his office would publish an advertisement tomorrow in Chinese dailies to ask the complainants to make an official report to MCA within a week.

"If they do not come within a week then we know what this all means. If it is true, the women should come forward as we can help them," he said.

"We also want to confirm whether the names listed are indeed those of MCA members. The letter seems fake to me, as all the names were written in the same handwriting."

On vice activities, Yap said his position is very clear as he does not endorse prostitution.

Yap, who has been the Serdang MP for seven terms, said the report in the media would be a good start to start tackling vice problems, but pointed out that such activities occur everywhere.

He added that several community and non-governmental leaders would be meeting in Serdang on Sunday to discuss the issue.