MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has trained his guns on China Press , accusing the Chinese daily of intentionally highlighting the ‘exodus’ of guests during a party dinner last Saturday.

NONE In brushing off the incident, Chua questioned why the daily featured him in a bad light while ignoring the fact that many more guests had chosen to remain at the dinner, despite the heavy downpour that night.

“I think some media has been playing up the issue. There was heavy rain until 7.30pm and by 8pm the dinner already had a full house. I am happy about that,” he said after attending an economic forum in Kuala Lumpur.

He added that of the seven media organisations that covered the function, only China Press had reported on the exodus.

“Then how do you explain the other people who stayed back despite the rain?” he asked.

Last Saturday, China Press reported that around 20 percent of an estimated 15,000 people who had attended the dinner in Kulai, Johor, had taken their leave as Chua was delivering his speech.

However, party deputy president Liow Tiong Lai defended his boss, saying that this was not a reflection of diminishing support for the MCA in Johor.

NONE Chua ( right in photo ) condemned his rivals DAP for giving false hopes by saying that Chinese Malaysians are ‘kingmakers’ in Johor, and urged DAP to nominate a Chinese candidate for Johor menteri besar.

When it was pointed out that the Johor state constitution restricts the MB’s post only for Malay Muslims, he replied that not many people are aware of it.

“Yes, that’s a different story, not many people are as clever as you. So they thought that by supporting DAP, there would be a Chinese MB.”

He added that DAP could not get the Perak MB’s post despite securing most seats in the last general election.

‘Terengganu hudud not an issue’

Asked whether MCA would propose a repeal of Terengganu’s Syariah and Criminal Offences Enactment (Hudud and Qisas), Chua replied that the law is not an issue because there is no implementation.

Pressed on whether the only MCA assemblyperson in Terengganu, Toh Chin Yaw, would propose a repeal of the enactment, he said Toh alone cannot make such a proposal without the support of a seconder.

 “He (Toh) can propose la, but there is no seconder (to support him). (Toh could not do so) because he is the only non-Muslim there.”

“What’s important is that the implementation (is not done). We have faith that Umno would not implement PAS’ hudud.”

The enactment was passed on July 12, 2002 during the PAS administration of the state.

NONE Meanwhile, it was also announced during the function that former MCA president Tan Koon Swan ( left ) will be awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Fourth World Chinese Economic Forum in Melbourne in November.

Asked to comment on the award, Chua said the award served as a “redemption” for Tan.

In 1985, Tan was sentenced to two years’ jail and fined S$1 million in Singapore because of share manipulation and criminal breach of trust in the Pan-El scandal.

However, Glenn Knight, the then-Singapore prosecutor who won the conviction against the ex-politician, has written that Tan should not have been found guilty in his recent book.