With the 13th general election close at hand, MCA sources have revealed that the party's incumbent MPs who have lost party or government positions are likely to fielded again in their respective constituencies.

These include former party presidents Ong Ka Ting and Ong Tee Keat , as well as central committee members Ong Ka Chuan and Wee Jeck Seng.

Based on information from MCA and the Prime Minister's Department, Ka Ting has maintained close ties with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, although he is no longer party president or a cabinet minister.

This arose from his work as a special envoy to China, especially with the recent formalising of the Kuantan Industrial Park Project.

ong ka ting meets supporters 260310 speak "Although Ka Ting ( right ) has already announced that he won't contest the coming election, he is seen as a ‘winnable candidate', while the situation in (his parliamentary seat) Kulai is critical.

"The local Umno believes Ka Ting can win the support of the Chinese community and is lobbying hard for him to change his mind."

Ka Ting defeated his DAP opponent Ng Pak Siong by a 11,744-vote majority in the 2008 election, despite a strong political mood for change.

Sin Chew Daily today quoted sources as saying that Ka Ting has not reversed his earlier decision not to contest in the coming general election.

In a statement issued later today, Ong reiterated that he would not be defending his constituency, Tanjung Piai.

“Earlier in 2008, I have openly said that the 12th general election is the last election that I will participate in, this decision has not been changed.”

In addition, Bernama has been informed that former housing and local government minister Ong Ka Chuan and former youth and sports deputy minister Wee Jeck Seng would re-contest in their constituencies. They are incumbent MPs in Tanjung Malim and Tanjong Piai respectively.

Former transport minister Ong Tee Keat has already announced that he would defend his Pandan constituency. However, party chief Chua Soi Lek has named new face Gary Lim as the MCA candidate for the seat. Nevertheless, Tee Keat has maintained close ties with the final arbiter, Najib.

Sources believe that Najib's visit to Pandan Jaya on Feb 2 to announce a RM3.5 million allocation to repaint public housing flats can be seen as giving Ong Tee Keat his blessing to re-contest.

PM's political secretary in the running

Another notable candidate is the prime minister's political secretary, Wong Nai Chee.

wong nai chee 220310 Wong ( left ) had contested and lost in Kota Melaka during the last general election, but is likely to replace former human resources minister Fong Chan Onn in Alor Gajah in the coming general election.

Sources say that Fong has obtained the consensus of several parties and is not expected to contest in the next general election, while Wong is Najib's preferred candidate for the parliamentary seat.

However, in a report published in Sin Chew Daily today, Wong denied that he has been picked as candidate to replace Fong in Alor Gajah.

Meanwhile, sources say that it should be no surprise if MCA vice-president and deputy finance minister Donald Lim contests in Selayang.

Not only that he is popular with the local Umno, his competitor, Jessie Ooi, also known as ‘Miss Tow Truck', announced in December last year that she is no longer the BN coordinator for the locality, thus paving way for Lim to become the candidate.

Deputy MCA president and Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, vice-president and Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen, vice-president and Housing and Local Government Minister Chor Chee Heung, secretary-general and Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha, central committee member and Deputy Home Minister Lee Chee Leong, central committee member and Deputy Agriculture Minister Chua Tee Yong and MCA Youth chief and Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong are expected to defend their seats.

NONE These are Bentong, Raub, Alor Setar, Lumut, Kampar, Labis, and Ayer Hitam respectively.

As for MCA's women's wing, its chairperson Yu Chok Tow is expected to contest in Seremban; its vice-chairperson and Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Heng Seai Kie ( right ) is expected to contest in Gopeng; its deputy chairperson and Gelang Patah MP Tan Ah Eng intends to defend her seat, but Johor MCA vice-chairperson Teoh Sew Hock is also said to be a possible candidate there.

Kluang a hot seat

Sources say following Tebrau MP Teng Boon Soon's announcement that he would not contest, there is still no definite candidate for the seat because it is closely intertwined with another hot seat - Kluang.

Both MCA vice-president and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Gan Ping Siew and MCA deputy secretary-general and Deputy Higher Education Minister Hou Kok Chung have expressed interest in contesting in Kluang, whereas MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has said one of them would be the Kluang candidate.

In other words, the one who is not chosen to contest in Kluang would contest in Tebrau.

Sources claim that although Hou is the incumbent Kluang MP, he has a good relationship withKa Ting and in turn, MCA's Tebrau division is close to Ka Ting. If Hou moves to contest in Tebrau, he would receive much welcome and support.

The source said that based the MCA's deployment of candidates, many of the candidates, such as Tiong Lai, Ka Chuan, Jeck Seng and Kok Chung, were inclined to the Ka Ting camp.

NONE Therefore, the party president Chua's manoeuvres would be under unusually close watch because the party's deployment of candidates in the coming election would have a direct impact on the party elections to be held in six months.

MCA's presidential council unanimously decided on April 30, 2011 that if it does not win the support of more Chinese voters and performs worse that it did in the 2008 election, MCA members would not take any government positions, whether in the cabinet or local government councils and village committees.

It would use the March 8, 2008 election results as benchmark, where it contested in 40 parliamentary seats and 90 state assembly seats, but won only 15 parliamentary seats and 31 state assembly seats. If it failed to do better, MCA would stay out of government.

In other words, MCA must at least hold on to its 15 parliamentary seats - Alor Setar, Labis, Kluang, Lumut, Kampar, Bentong, Raub, Tanjung Malim, Kulai, Pandan, Gelang Patah, Tebrau, Tanjong Piai, Alor Gajah, and Ayer Hitam - to continue to be in government.

Editor's note: This article was translated from an piece published by Bernama's Chinese news service.