TMI - OTK slams MCA’s ‘out-of-touch’ voters excuse

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 – Former MCA presient Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has again slammed his party for saying Malaysians abroad were “out-of-touch” and should not be given the right to vote.

“I was indeed shocked by MCA’s objection to postal voting by Malaysians residing abroad on the ground of logistics and being ‘out of touch’ with the situation in Malaysia,” he said in his blog posting yesterday.

The Pandan MP (picture) was referring to an MCA delegation’s stand at a polls reform panel’s public hearing last Friday.

MCA central committee member Datuk Ei Kim Hock told the parliamentary select committe (PSC) on electoral reform that Malaysians overseas were not qualified to vote as they are “out of touch” with the current state of affairs in the country.

Ei said the MCA’s research had shown that most Malaysians overseas only received information from questionable sources, which may not reflect the true conditions on the ground.

MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has since clarified that the MCA did not agree with overseas voting purely because it presented a “logistical nightmare” as considerable resources would have to be devoted to ensure its success.

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TMI - Tee Keat denies claims of crossover to Pakatan

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat denied today rumours that he will join the DAP or PKR, calling such allegations “mischievous and unethical.”

Reports online had claimed the former MCA president met PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok on separate occasions before this week’s Deepavali celebrations.

But the Pandan MP said today “this has never happened, otherwise you would have reported it” when asked if he was planning to join another party.

Although he confirmed that he has received offers from other parties, he said “it is nothing new to me and has happened for a few years now. But I stop at that and it is all water under the bridge.”

Speculation that Ong (picture) will leave the MCA gained momentum after he vowed in February to defend his Pandan seat even if he was dropped by the party.

Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who deposed Ong as MCA boss in a bitter contest 19 months ago, also called on his predecessor to leave the party after Ong criticised the Barisan Nasional component of being “irrelevant” just before this month’s annual general assembly.

Ong told reporters today that he did not discuss any plans to join the DAP when he met Selangor executive councillor Kok for lunch on October 25.


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