news analysis The candidates have been declared and some 2.400 MCA central delegates have a week to ponder their choice of leaders on Saturday.

mca party election nomination day 131008 19 The two presidential candidates - Ong Tee Keat and Chua Jui Meng - will be reminded that politics is a high-risk occupation. In an election, a candidate may be ‘killed’ many times unlike in a battle, where death comes just once.

Tee Keat (left in photo) is a first-time contender for the presidency , but Chua is on his second outing after being defeated by Ong Ka Ting in 2005.

Chua sounds confident, having said “The colder the winter…the bigger the plum blossoms” to rebut critics who are mindful of his inactivity before he chose to make a comeback.

As they two prepare for the moment of truth, what criteria will delegates use to make their decision?

“Experience, seniority, academic background and preferably ample domestic and international experience,” said a delegate.

A more experienced member - lawyer Wong Mook Leong, 65 - takes a more critical view.

“Specifically, the delegates this time round will compare the leadership qualities, personality (character) and track-record of the candidates,” said the veteran, who has held party posts for 31 years since joining in 1977.

“I think the candidates will also consider the age factor. Chua is 64 while Tee Keat is 53. The profile of central delegates shows a younger group now, so the trend will be to vote in younger candidates.”

mca party election nomination day 131008 15 Wong anticipates that members will look to the successful candidate to lead MCA out of the darkness generated by the dismal March general election results.

He based this on views gathered from the grassroots, which want a leader with courage to speak up as well as integrity to conduct party affairs without succumbing to vested interests.

“Language proficiency will be another factor,” he said, pointing out that Tee Keat is a columnist for a Chinese newspaper and that he is proficient in Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia and English.”

Although Chua has about 10 years of experience in government, Wong points out that Tee Keat is not without a track-record although he has held the post of transport minister only since March.

Tee Keat was political secretary to former MCA deputy chief Lee Kim Sai from 1986-1989 and deputy speaker of Dewan Rakyat from 1990-1999, and party Youth chief in 1999.

Critical eye on candidates

Tee Keat has shown traits that have not always been appreciated. A former party president once compared his character to that of the self-destruct gadget in the popular television series ‘Mission Impossible’.

ling liong sik 03 In April 2003, for example, Tee Keat - then Youth chief - had alleged that triads had infiltrated MCA, causing infuriated president Dr Ling Liong Sik (left) to accuse him of tarnishing the party’s image.

An unrepentant Tee Keat said he was ready to give up his party and government posts after being slapped with a show-cause letter for allegedly breaching party discipline.

He reportedly said: “Unlike some unprincipled characters, I will not cling on to my posts. My conscience is clear and that is enough. I am least perturbed by what may happen to me personally. If I am sacked, the calls for reform within MCA will be heard everywhere.”

Wong says such political courage has been rare among party leaders to date.

Delegates will also consider Tee Keat’s election manifesto that calls for direct election of the president to enhance participatory democracy and to dilute the powerful position so as to eradicate ‘unhealthy’ political practices.

Wong interprets this as a sign that he wants justice within the party system before he fights for justice for the people.

yap yit thong Perak central delegate Yap Yit Thong says his choice will be the person who has seniority and the ability to stand up to counterparts in government, in particular those from Umno.

“(The candidate) must be knowledgeable in economic policies so that he can handle a revamp. It would be an advantage if he is articulate, proficient in languages, clean, incorruptible and upright,” said Yap.

A delegate from Selangor said: “Well, I would like to see both candidates tackling the proposed Central Board of Trustees recommended by Ka Ting’s leadership. Then I will make up my mind.”

This time around, the deciding factor among delegates will not be just the credibility of candidates - they will want the chosen one to offer strong responses to issues within and outside the party.