MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek today advised former party president Ong Tee Keat and current secretary-general Kong Cho Ha to stop squabbling over car registration numbers bearing the letters ‘MCA’.

He said both men should instead focus more on transforming the party, uniting the members and serving the people.

"I am fully aware of the background of the story but I don't intend to talk about it openly," he said and reminded both Ong and Kong not to force him to reveal what he knew about the matter.

Speaking to reporters before attending the fund-raising dinner of the Saviour Lutheran Church here today, Chua said he did not want the issue to become bigger.

Car registration numbers bearing the letters MCA were unofficially discussed during the presidential council meeting after the party election this year.

Chua said it was concluded at the meeting that the plate numbers with the MCA letters should be open for the public to use and not solely reserved for MCA leaders and members.

"I myself declined the suggestion for MCA1 to be reserved for me," he said, adding that anyone with the money could acquire a fancied registration plate number.

Ong had on Friday furnished evidence of his rejecting a memorandum issued by his senior private secretary during his tenure as transport minister, for Malacca vehicle registration numbers from MCA1 to MCA9999 to be reserved for MCA members.

Kong, who is currently transport minister, had also announced that car registration numbers bearing the letters ‘MCA’ were open for public tender and  were not reserved for MCA members only.

On the two school principals who had allegedly made racial remarks, Chua hoped the Public Service Department would expedite its investigations so that the Education Ministry could take action.

He was confident the ministry would take appropriate action against them, saying that "school principals are the educators of our children, thus leadership should be by example".

- Bernama