The connection between arrested MCA division leader Wong Lee Wah with the international Ecstasy syndicate will be the major focus of police investigation, Bukit Aman narcotics deputy director Mangsor Ismail said today.

He told malaysiakini that this was an important aspect of their investigation and Malaysian police are cooperating closely with their counterparts overseas o­n the matter.

"We have been working with the Australian federal police o­n this case since last November," he said.

Mangsor however declined to reveal whether the evidence obtained so far was sufficient to charge Wong.

He said the Australian police discovered that the Ecstacy powder was manufactured in Europe and Wong's freight forwarding company at Port Klang was used by the international syndicate in the shipment of the drug to Australia.

More arrests

Mangsor did not rule out the possibility of more arrests in connection with the case, adding that it would depend o­n the progress of the investigation.

Asked if this could include more MCA leaders, he replied: "So far, I can o­nly say there is no additional arrest at this moment. Investigations are progressing well."

Mangsor added that the police are also looking at freezing the assets and properties of the MCA leader under the Forfeiture of Property Act.

Yesterday, malaysiakini reported that the party's Kampar division secretary, Wong Lee Wah, was arrested last week over his alleged involvement in a multi-million Ecstasy-trafficking syndicate in Australia.

Wong, 47, a Kinta Selatan district councillor, was taken into custody by officers from the narcotics department and is being held under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act, which allows for a 60-day detention.

Another six people connected with the case were also arrested over the past three weeks. The syndicate is believed to have connections with a Europe-Australia Ecstasy trafficking pipeline in Sydney which Australian police had been investigating.

This resulted in last month's seizure of Ecstasy worth RM200 million (A$92 million), which were found hidden in freezers imported from Malaysia.

The seized psychotropic drug, in powder form, weighed 170kg and when processed could produce about o ­ne million Ecstacy tablets.

Among those arrested in Australia were the syndicate's mastermind - a Chinese national with Dutch travel documents. Those arrested in Malaysia included the mastermind's wife who was picked up in Ipoh - the Perak state capital located near Kampar.

Up to party to decide

Contacted for comment today, Kinta Selatan district council chairperson Abu Zar Omar said the council has not been formally informed o­n the matter.

"We o­nly learnt about it from media reports," he said, adding that the council would leave it to the party concerned to take action as the councillor post is a political appointment.

According to Abu, Wong is serving his second term as councillor.

Meanwhile, a MCA veteran in Perak told malaysiakini of Wong's switch of allegiance in the o­n-going party factional feud, from Team B - led by party deputy president Lim Ah Lek - to Team A led by president Dr Ling Liong Sik.

"Wong is very ambitious and aspires to contest a state assembly seat in the next general election," he said, claiming that Wong projected himself as a generous man in order to win the attention of top party leaders.

"Some leaders later approached him and offered him a deal, promising that they would groom him. This happened more than o­ne year ago," said the veteran who is aligned to Team B.

Earlier today, MCA Youth chief O­ng Tee Keat has urged party president to personally investigate this drug-trafficking claims as this was "part" of o­ng's claim that MCA was infiltrated by triads .