A day after vice-president Chua Jui Meng declared his intention to go for the top post in MCA, party divisions in Selangor and Sabah announced that they are backing incumbent president Ong Ka Ting in polls next month.

"We in Selangor strongly support Ka Ting - 100 per cent," Selangor deputy chairperson Donald Lim Siang Chai was quoted by Bernama as saying.

Lim said that Ong had brought positive changes to the party including limiting the president's term of office to nine years, introducing a party code of ethics and implementing policies to attract more young professionals.

He added that Ong had succeeded in bridging the gap with Chinese organisations in ensuring the position of Chinese Malaysians would continue to improve.

Ong, who was appointed party president two years ago to replace Dr Ling Liong Sik, has also received endorsement from the MCA Sabah liaison committee.

State chairman Edward Khoo Keok Hai said the committee had also resolved to give its full support to Chan Kong Choy, who is seeking to retain his post as deputy president.

It's up to the delegates

Meanwhile, Ong declined to speculate on his or Chua's chances of victory at the party elections on Aug 20 - the first in six years.

"I will leave it to the central delegates to judge who is more suitable... let us do our jobs properly and stick to the rules and regulations, then there will be no problem," he said.

However, Ong urged delegates to look at the candidates' track record and not be influence by their campaign strategies when deciding on the party leadership.

Yesterday, former health minister Chua confirmed that he will go for broke by challenging Ong.

Deputy leader Chan is being challenged by a rank outsider, Chan Tse Yuen, who is a former MCA Youth deputy chief in the early 1990s.