MCA members have been urged to lend a helping hand to party president Ong Tee Keat and his deputy Dr Chua Soi Lek to resolve their differences.

“I wish to appeal publicly to MCA delegates and members to lend a hand in closing the chapter of the long-standing feud between Tee Keat and his deputy for the sake of party unity,” MCA central committee member Tan Chai Ho told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He reminded supporters from both sides to respect the wishes of the central delegates who had voted for both leaders at the party elections last October.

mca agm 181008 chua soi lek ong tee keat “Many leaders and party members have made known their views and wishes pertaining to this issue. I will compile (the views) and made it known to the public when ready,” said Tan who is also a former deputy home minister.

“It has been more than a year since the sex DVD scandal. Dr Chua Soi Lek had apologised and relinquished all his posts. However, on Oct 18 last year, Dr Chua made a successful comeback in the MCA elections.

“Since October, there are certain quarters who repeatedly raise the same issue for their narrow agenda. They are blind to the fact that MCA delegates had indicated their desire to see Dr Chua play a pivotal role in the party,” he stressed.

Tan also pointed out that Chua’s DVD case had been closed as reported by the attorney-general in August last year and reconfirmed by the Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar in Parliament on Feb 25 that the police had been unable to identify the person behind the recording of Chua’s sex video.

“It’s not good for the party and members if one continues to harp on this issue as a lot of party members and the Chinese community are concerned with MCA’s reform plans and its future.”

Tan also explained that he was not referring to the cabinet appointment issue but he was hoping that the deputy president would be given a second chance to serve.

Mediator Tan Chai Ho?

“I am only dealing with the issues at hand and not the personalities involved. I support both the president and deputy president. I’m not taking sides. I respect and love our two leaders but I love the party more,” he said.

tan chai ho pc 130705 statement Tan also offered to be the mediator if requested to do so and with the support of other party leaders and members.

Sharing Tan’s views, another party central committee member Loh Seng Kok argued that the deputy president should be given a second chance as even ex-criminals are given a chance to serve the community after they have paid the penalty and turned over a new leaf.

Loh is also an appointed committee member of the Government Policy Monitoring bureau headed by the deputy president.

On the purported move by the pro-Chua group to request for an EGM in a move to oust Tee Keat as president, Tan denied any knowledge of it.

“It is not the right time for any EGM. We (party members) want them (president and his deputy) to try to work together,” he said.

Also present at the press conference were divisional chairpersons Ee Khim Hock (Kuala Langat), Khoo Chin Nam (Putrajaya) and youth division chairperson Daniel Ling.

Chua: I can work with everyone

In a press statement today, Chua stressed that he could work with everyone in MCA, including the president.

"The president and deputy president working together is not an option but a necessity. This is something that MCA members and the Chinese community look forward to. This is the only way that MCA and BN can work together to strengthen the coalition," said the embattled leader, who has been sideline by his boss.

"I respect all those elected including the president. In the same way, I expect them to accord the same respect to the chair of deputy president," Chua added.