KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — In his bid to muscle his way back to the helm of MCA, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said today he believes there is no need for the party to be confrontational when dealing with Umno.

Although the two Barisan Nasional (BN) partners oftentimes clash on numerous policies, many among them racial in nature, Ong said it was more important for MCA to assert its role through consultation.

“The key issue is not to stand up against so and so or whichever party, or whomever, but rather we have to put our house in order and we have to restore public confidence, it’s not just by merely standing up, but you must also be able to deliver and I don’t believe in any kind of inter-partisan or inter-ethnic confrontation.

“That is going to lead us to nowhere. Neither should we be the subservient group because when I say power sharing, I did elaborate that we need to have meaningful partnership and consultation.

“This should be tabled at the consultation forum, a proper forum to sort it out and BN I must say, and we have the supreme council, which certainly provides a good forum,” the former MCA president told reporters at a press conference here.

The Chinese community has long complained about MCA’s ineffectiveness in the government, and made evident their dissatisfaction in the 2008 and this year’s general elections.

Critics have claimed that MCA, as a party that represents the Chinese community in BN had failed to prove its worth, particularly with Umno growing its image today as the defender of Islam.

Meanwhile, within the party, the Kubang Pasu divisional delegate said it is important that representatives from different factions win the line-up of leaders in this weekend’s polls, in light of the fact that he is seen as the “lone ranger”, who is not aligned to any faction.

“I propose if we want to find a way out to stop split in party after every party election, the new leadership will need to include interests and representatives from different factions, not winner takes all.

“I want to state that I will work with anyone from different factions and if anyone is capable but unfortunately did not win, I would also include them in the new leadership,” he said.

Ong also said that the current leadership should organise an open debate among the presidential candidates in the party headquarters, adding that it would be part of his agenda to institutionalise it if he is voted as president once again.