Ex-MCA chief Ong confirms joining Warisan, eyes Pandan return

Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat is reportedly making his political comeback under the Warisan banner.

The former transport minister also said he is “inclined” to contest in his old stomping ground of Pandan for the upcoming election, according to a Sin Chew Daily report yesterday.

Ong said Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal approached him several months ago and he agreed to join as an “experienced fresh face” after some serious consideration.

He reportedly said he decided to make a comeback because of Malaysia’s dismal political developments in recent years.

“Apart from the appalling party-hopping, some politicians have no firm stance or views.

“One of the things that puzzled me is that the budget allocations are becoming even more unbalanced than during my time in government, yet dissenting voices are becoming weaker and weaker,” he was quoted as saying.

He said the budget tabled during Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration was deeply flawed, and the lack of pushback from the opposition left him disappointed.

He also criticised the memorandum of understanding between Pakatan Harapan and Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration.

“(The memorandum) is like a ceasefire and other countries do this too, but it is not supposed to be a ‘disarmament’.

“It is self-defeating. What will the voters say? The price for parliamentary reform is unequal and merely allowed Ismail Sabri to weather some turbulence. Is that what the people wanted? I don’t think so,” he was quoted as saying.

Ong’s rise, disappearance, comeback

Meanwhile, Bernama reported last night that Shafie told reporters in Tenom, Sabah, that “a former MCA president” will be among Warisan’s candidate line-up in Peninsular Malaysia, alongside former leaders and members from PKR and Umno.

It said Shafie did not name the ex-MCA president concerned.

Ong joined MCA in 1981 and later became party president and transport minister. He was credited for exposing corruption in the allocation for Chinese schools and the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

He served as Ampang Jaya MP for five terms from 1989 to 2013. The constituency has been renamed Pandan thereafter.

However, he quietly quit the party in 2017 and refused to give his reasons for doing so even after the press got wind of his resignation several months later.

Last month, Warisan hinted that Ong is joining its ranks, but Ong refused to publicly confirm this at the time.

PKR has announced that its deputy president Mohd Rafizi Ramli will contest Pandan in the coming general election. He previously held the seat from 2013 to 2018.

The current incumbent is PKR’s Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who will be contesting the Bandar Tun Razak seat instead.

Nomination day for the 15th general election is set for Nov 5, while polling day falls on Nov 19.

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