VIDEO | 0:37 min

Outgoing MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has brushed aside an allegation of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s involvement in the forthcoming MCA elections, or that Najib had urged Chua to retire.

NONE"I've told the prime minister that MCA is not MIC," he said when asked about the claim that Najib and Umno were working behind the scenes in the MCA party elections.

"MCA is a Chinese-based party, MIC an Indian-based party," he said, but refused to elaborate when asked what was wrong with MIC.

It's believed that Chua was referring to the recent MIC elections in which the top two party posts were accepted without contest due to external influence.

Chua rubbished a claim that his retirement was the result of pressure from both Najib and Umno, as alleged by MCA veteran Lim Ah Lek, who said Najib wanted a new MCA leadership.

"I've met the PM. He denied he had told Lim that I shouldn't defend my presidency," Chua said.

Such measures used by Lim in using the name of Umno to have his way were outdated, he said, scoffing that it was as though MCA members would fear Umno.

“When I came back after the (sex) CD (scandal), I was threatened with the same statement, but I won the election,” he said.

Umno delegates’ statements rapped

On another note, Chua criticised some of the Umno delegates who had allegedly uttered extreme statements during the party’s annual general assembly, and in particular named a delegate for coming up with the ‘1Melayu’ slogan.

“MCA feels that the message conveyed in the recently concluded Umno assembly has raised concerns among non-Malays. It’s felt that the topic raised by delegates and leaders of Umno - ranging from politics, education, to the social and economic situation, didn’t reflect the spirit of 1Malaysia,” he said.

“MCA believes that the racially-toned assembly would hinder national reconciliation and working toward the 14th general election,” he said in a statement.

Even though the delegates enjoyed freedom of speech, they must remember that Umno, being the backbone of BN, and so the statement of delegates will be observed by Malaysia, he said.

Chua said he had told Najib to talk more on issues related to 1Malaysia, after he noticed that the latter only focused on bumiputra issues during the Umno assembly.

The PM responded and said he had emphasised that he is prime minister for all and practices inclusive policies days before the assembly, he said.

Meanwhile, Chua said, the peace deal negotiation between his deputy president Liow Tiong Lai and him was done out of the love for the party as they tried to make the party polls more peaceful.

As such, the peace deal is something which can makes the party hold its head up, he responded when asked about the disagreement of party vice-presidents Donald Lim and Gan Peng Sieu with such an arrangement.

Lim had said this would made the members feel ashamed, while Gan had likened the peace deal to parents’ arrangement of new leadership.

Chua criticised Gan for trying to act like a hero to garner support.

He said the peace deal was meant only to negotiate about the party posts ranging from vice-president to central delegates.

'Rationalisation causing much anxiety'

 

“We recognise the recent series of hikes is part of the subsidy rationalisation programme to shift blanket subsidies on targeted items, and to fix structural problems in the economy,” he said.

“However, the frequency of the rationalisation is causing much anxiety among the rakyat, after the removal of sugar subsidies, the electricity and petrol hike, implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, and implementation of minimum wages,” he said.

He said although MCA supported the principle of subsidy rationalisation, it felt the government needs to come out with more initiatives to reduce the impact and burden on the lower-income group, and those caught in the middle income trap.