Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai has denied allegations that Pandan MP Ong Tee Keat has been banned from his ministry’s functions.

NONE “No such thing. It has never crossed my mind. He must be having a lot of imagination. I don’t know where he get all these answers,” Liow ( right ) told reporters today on the sidelines of a function in Kuala Lumpur.

He was commenting on claims by Ong that he had been sidelined during two royal visits at the Ampang hospital, which is within his constituency.

The latest incident occurred on Nov 9, when Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin officially opened the hospital.

Prior to this, Ong was also not invited for Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah’s visit to the hospital on June 7.

Ong claimed that the list of guests was prepared by the Health Ministry and his exclusion was an executive decision.

Liow stressed that Ong had imagined the incident and said that it was up to the hospital to decide on invitations for its functions.

‘No orders from top’

He also denied that there was any “orders from the top” for Ong’s exclusion.

“Is it? I don’t think so. No such thing. No orders from the top. Thank you very much,” said Liow.

NONE In a post on his blog yesterday, Ong said that the Pandan electorate has a right to know whether their elected representative is being sidelined by the ministry.

He said that should he, as the elected representative of the Pandan constituency be sidelined, then the Health Ministry was effectively sidelining all his constituents.

Ong also urged the Health Ministry to confirm or deny whether there is any policy to exclude the Pandan MP from ministerial functions.

Liow, who is also MCA vice-president, was the prime mover of a faction who campaigned for Ong’s ouster as party president last year.

This led to an extraordinary general meeting to elect a new national party leadership on March 28, which saw another faction led by Dr Chua Soi Lek sweeping to victory.

Ong was ousted as MCA president just 17 months after winning the post.