‘Pandan MCA has never discussed candidate for 13th GE’

KUALA LUMPUR: The Pandan MCA division has never discussed its choice of candidate for the coming 13th general election (13th GE), Youth leader Chong Sin Woon said yesterday.

However, he said, the division would support anyone chosen by the Barisan Nasional ( BN) leadership to ensure victory for the candidate.

“Anyone who claims that they have the support and nominated by Pandan MCA, the claim is baseless,” he told reporters after the division’s emergency meeting which was chaired by its deputy chairman, Tan Chuan Yong.

The meeting was called to clarify on a media report about an announcement by MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek that the Pandan MCA had nominated a new face, Gary Lim, a 39-year- old lawyer, to be fielded as a candidate in the coming general election, instead of incumbent Datuk Seri Ong Tee Kiat.

Chong said the Pandan MCA was taking an open stand and willing to discuss with Dr Chua on the candidate for Pandan.

“There is no issue of a rift here. We will support whoever, including Ong or Lim, if they are endorsed by the MCA and BN leadership.

“If necessary, we will call for another meeting to discuss on the candidate,” he added.

At a MCA Pandan Open House last Wednesday, Dr Chua said that Ong was not included in the party’s list of candidates for the 13th general election and claimed that it was because Ong no longer had the support of the Pandan MCA members.

On Thursday, Ong refuted the report and said the final decision lies in the hands of BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and not Dr Chua. — Bernama