KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 – MCA’s Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has confirmed his intention to contest the party’s presidency when internal polls are held this December, Sin Chew Daily reported today.
Liow (picture) is the first MCA leader to declare his intention to contest for the top post in the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party this December, the Chinese-language daily reported in its evening edition here.
“After president (Chua Soi Lek) announced he won’t defend his post, I as the deputy president have to bear the responsibility and take on the work of reform; therefore under the call of duty and after listening to the opinion of the grassroots nationwide, I decided to contest for the presidential post,” Liow was quoted as saying in Sin Chew’s evening edition paper today.
On May 11, current MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had said he would not defend his position but would only quit between June and December.
MCA elders had prior to that called for Dr Chua to resign after the party won only seven out of 37 federal seats and 11 out of 90 state seats that it contested in the May 5 general election, its worst polls performance in history.
When asked about the possibility of partnering with MCA youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong in the party polls, Liow told Sin Chew it was too early to talk of such teams.
He also said there is currently no internal struggle within the party, urging everyone not to speculate on this matter.
“MCA is currently not in a party struggle situation, and there’s no Liow camp, Chua camp, all quarters don’t have to make any guesses,” he said, likely referring to speculative talk that both he and Dr Chua were lining up their men in the fight for party posts.
A much-publicised power struggle within MCA had brought about a re-election in 2010 that saw Dr Chua winning the MCA president post, replacing his rival and predecessor Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat who was elected in 2008.
The MCA party elections is held every three years and is expected to take place this December.
