KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 — MCA’s Chua Tee Yong today pledged that he will not run for a place on party’s central committee in the coming election should his father, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, defend his presidency.
The father-and-son duo are the subject of speculation that behind the scenes negotiations with deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai were taking place for the younger Chua to be installed in the senior party position, ostensibly as vice president.
“The reason for this decision is to squash any rumours that continue to be spread among party members that continue to smear the party’s name,” Tee Yong said at a press conference.
Following MCA’s showing in Election 2013, in which it won just seven parliamentary and 11 state seats, Dr Chua said he would not defend his position at the head of the party but would stay on until the internal election at the end of the year.
This led to some factions calling for his immediate departure to make way for Liow.
But recent developments have given rise to talk that Dr Chua may go back on his word. In addition, there has been speculation of horse-trading with Liow for a position for his son, Tee Yong.
Today, Tee Yong said he would still be involved in the party and would seek to contribute in any way he could, as MCA was “going through a rough time”.
“I will still be inside the transformational team or any team who enable us to change MCA, to make MCA better and to gain more support from the rakyat (people),” he said.
In 2010, MCA also underwent a fractious party election during which Dr Chua, who had quit all party posts following a sex scandal in 2008, deposed Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to become president.
* A previous version of this article incorrectly reported Chua Tee Yong as announcing unconditionally that he will not contest in the MCA party election.
