Chua Urged MCA President To Step Down

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- MCA veteran Datuk Chua Jui Meng has asked party president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting to step down following the MCA's dismal performance in the 12th general election on March 8.

Chua said Ong should take full responsibility for the MCA's loss in the election and step down from the president's post.

"The Chinese community at large has lost confidence in Ong's leadership in the MCA and therefore he has to resign from his post as party president", he told reporters at his office here, today.

In response to Ong's announcement that he had rejected a cabinet post or any government post, Chua, who was a former Health Minister, said that the measure was not enough.

Chua said the MCA's defeat was also due to the new faces, many of whom were strangers to their areas and were inexperienced.

The MCA had won only 15 of the 40 parliamentary seats it contested and 31 of the 90 state seats in the polls this year.

In the 2004 election, the MCA won 31 of the 40 parliamentary and 70 of the 90 state seats.

Asked who would fill the president's post if Ong were to step down, he said it was up to the party's Central Committee to decide who would lead the MCA.

-- BERNAMA