Who will be MCA's new president?

Malaysiakini - Underdog Tee Keat sees fortunes turning!

The description by MKINI of Ong Tee Keat says it all – he’s the underdog, and thus not expected to win.

In simplified maths, based on the last MCA presidential election, he and erstwhile ally Liow had slightly over 50% while Chua Soi Lek has the other (almost) 50%.

Since then Ong and Liow had a falling out, thus in those simplified statistical terms, Chua with his almost 50% party support should roam home to be the new MCA president.

But how does the entry of Ong Ka Ting affect the percentages? As a former party president he undoubtedly has considerable support. But after two years of his absence how many of these would still remain committed to him?

And I wonder what role and influence former party president Ling play, because undoubtedly he’ll seek to enhance his son’s position in the party.

Yes, The Malaysian Insider published a Merdeka Centre poll showing Tee Keat is favoured choice of Chinese voters to be party president, but that means diddly squat because it won’t be the Chinese voters electing the MCA president but party delegates who are already immersed in party rooms’ dealing and wheeling.

Malaysiakini photo

Remember, Chua by right should have around 50% of the delegates support, though of course Ong Ka Ting may upset that consequential logic from the statistics of last party election.

But one thing is for sure, UMNO is hoping for a winning Ong Ka Ting & Liow Tiong Lai partnership. After all, unlike Ong Tee Keat, Ong Ka Ting was well accepted in the pre-March-2008 cabinet; and we sure know Liow Tiong Lai is UMNO's darling boy in MCA - see my earlier post Najib and Muhyiddin fought for Liow Tiong Lai.

The poor odd BN Chinese bloke currently left out on a limb must be Gerakan Koh Tsu Koon wakakaka – sorry lah, UMNO is right now more interested in and wary about a MCA showing signs of insubordination.