KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — MCA Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong announced today his support for Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai’s presidency bid in the upcoming party polls, which may hamper Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s rumoured defence of the post.

Although Dr Chua announced in May that he would not seek to keep his post at MCA’s November election, talk is rife that he may reconsider, a rumour further strengthened by a move to censure Liow at this weekend’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM).

“I would like to make it clear, I will not contest against Liow for any post is he bidding for,” he told a press conference at the party’s headquarters here.

Wee added that he and Liow are close friends and criticised the motion to censure the MCA deputy president as “unwise”, saying the infighting between Dr Chua and Liow’s camps would only split an already weakened party.

As Youth chief, Wee is seen to hold considerable influence in MCA. He is also one of MCA’s remaining seven federal lawmakers following its worst-ever electoral performance in Election 2013 and could also bolster his strength in the party, analysts noted.

Liow is also one of those who survived the Chinese vote swing, an advantage that could work for the MCA number two; a tag team of Liow and Wee could make it harder for Dr Chua to keep his post.

Immediately after the May 5 general election, Dr Chua announced his intention to quit as president once MCA elects a suitable replacement at the party’s November polls.

But in a press conference last week Dr Chua suggested a possible about-turn when he said he would not leave the party in the hands of his deputy whom he described as “weak” and “indecisive”.

Dr Chua added that if he is to leave the party, Liow, who is facing a censure motion for his supposed failure to perform as MCA’s election chief in the 13th general election, must do the same.

Today, Wee gave his express support for Liow whom he described as a “close friend”. He called the move to censure the MCA deputy president “unwise” and pledged to vote against the motion.

“I don’t think there should be any motion of such kind. This has never been done in our history. There shouldn’t be any motion to censure any of the leaders. It is very unwise,” he said.

Wee added that if the party were to blame its leaders for its poor polls standing, all office bearers, including Dr Chua, should take the fall.

“It is unfair to blame Liow alone. If the grassroots feel that the poor performance should be blamed on its leaders, then the president, the deputy president, the youth chief, all the committee members have some degree of responsibility,” he said.

MCA won only seven of the 37 federal constituencies it contested in Election 2013, with two of these coming from Wee and Liow.

Dr Chua sat out the polls although his son, Tee Yong, won the Malay-majority Labis federal seat.

The Chinese, Malaysia’s second biggest community, overwhelmingly voted for the opposition.