Chua Soi Lek: Contesting As A Team
- An exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily

PETALING JAYA: Former MCA vice president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek is sure to take part in the October party election. He says he will contest in a team, and refuses any appointment of party post.

This has negated the rumour that he will not run for party president or deputy president, and accept the appointment post as secretary-general.

On the rumour that he will be appointed secretary-general if the two incumbent vice presidents Datuk Seri Fong Chan Onn and Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai will run for the top two party posts in the election and win, he said, "I won't rely on the appointment by other people. I want party members to decide on my political future."

He emphasised that contesting in a team is not to kill democratic elections or cause a split in the party, adding that everyone must respect the decision on party delegates, and work together in unity after the election.

On whether he will form a team to contest in the election, he said, "I am in the process of forming this team, some invited by me, some joining on their own."

On whether he will form the team with Fong or Donald Lim, he said he always exchange ideas with them, and they all share some goals and objectives.

He said, if the three of them run for central committee posts, the posts they are running will not be conflicting one another.

He went on to say that his team will include at least one leader in each state, who can coordinate with him. However, he refused to reveal who his team-mates are, and will not reveal their identities even if he were to announce his own intention to run for any party post.

"Not all my team mates will run for important posts in the party."

"Are you leading the team?"

"Not necessarily. We work in a team. No one is the big boss, number two, etc."

On whether former vice president Datuk Seri Chua Jui Meng is in his team, he said they have not discussed anything about the party election.

"No one has said that Chua Jui Meng goes against or with me. Neither have I. This is purely speculation. Until now I still have no idea about his intention, and I don't think he understands mine."

As for whether his team includes party leaders holding Cabinet posts, he said in order to be fair to those holding Cabinet posts, he would leave them out for the time being. Moreover, he says these leaders are generally very careful in handling such matter.

Chua Soi Lek said he wouldn't announce his own intentions for the time being, as "challengers don't usually need to make quick announcements."

"I am now only an ordinary party member without any Cabinet post, so I will look at this thing in a practical manner. However, the 308 'political tsunami' saw the defeat of many Cabinet post holders to previously unknown rivals. I do not know whether a similar tsunami is in the making within MCA."

He went on further to say that party delegates might consider those holding Cabinet posts, due to the dwindling number of MCA MPs.

He admitted that factions do occur within MCA. To say that factions are absent within MCA is misleading.

"Some say that there are no opposing factions within the party, but when they attend some functions, they have sizeable followers... Nevertheless, the Team A and Team B today are no longer that distinct as those teams in 2000. We have Team B members in today's Team A, and vice versa."

Chua said, he admitted his role in the sex scandal, quit party and Cabinet posts, and now he wants to contest in the party election again, not to vent his anger.

He said, during the initial phase of the sex video scandal, he could have chosen not to quit all his party and Cabinet posts. At that time, his legal advisors offered him two options:

"First, not to admit at all; second, apply for a court order to ban all media reports."

He pointed out that if the media were to continue the coverage, then they had to produce the original VCD as evidence, and the culprit wouold have to show up.

But after thorough consideration, he made up his mind to quit all party and Cabinet posts.

On whether he had been given wrong message or advice leading him to make the decision to quit, he said, "No one told me to quit all the posts. That was my own decision."

Cabinet post may not be an advantage

Would be he disadvantaged now that he is not holding any Cabinet post?

"Ong Ka Ting has said it is not necessary for party president to hold a Cabinet post. He admitted that a party president with a Cabinet post may sometimes be restricted in what he wants to say.. The most important thing is that we must know how to establish good relationships with other political parties... I can still see the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister now."

Chua, who once worked as a health minister, said during his four-year tenure as a minister, other than Ong Ka Ting, he and another minister always voiced up in the Cabinet on issues related to the Chinese community. There was one minister who always keep quiet.

He said not necessarily a minister could solve the problems of the Chinese community, otherwise, MCA's chronic problems would have been solved long time ago.

When asked whether the coming party election would be very tough, he said, "I am used to that. Only those who have gone through tough times will survive in the end."

He also described his experiences of running for the Batu Pahat division chairman some 20 years ago, and said it was really tough for him then.

Dare to admit mistakes

Chua said, he was willing to admit his role in the sex scandal, because he didn't want it to become a "weapon" that could be exploited by other people.

"I dare to admit my mistakes, and do not want anyone to threaten me with the VCD, and become a burden to me. Some say UMNO leaders would threaten me with this VCD, but I believe my political rivals will more so."

He didn't feel that the VCD will be exploited by those from other races.

"That was my personal life... at least I was not corrupt or abusing my power."

On whether this incident would form a pressure on him among the Muslims, Chua said many Muslims treat this as a problem of the Chinese community.

"I admit everything, because I don't want it to be exploited by other people. Perhaps I won't win in the election, but I won't let them get away with it."

He said after admitting his involvement in the scandal, he decided to start his political career from scratch, and surrender his political future to party members, with the hope that they would give him an opportunity to start afresh.

"A successful person may not be impeccable, but he won't repeat his past mistakes."

He also believed in what the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping once said, "Be it a white cat or a black cat, one that catches the rat is a good cat."

However, he believes that over the next two to three months, some people may want to use the VCD to attack him.

Won't affect son's political future

Chua Soi Lek doesn't think that his participation in the coming party election will impact on the political future of his son Chua Tee Yong.

"What to impact? Nothing."

Chua Tee Yong is the MP for Labis.

On whether his son would run for the party central committee post, he said his son won't take part in the central committee election.

Even Tee Yong's participation in the divisional election for a vice chairman post was also made possible with the recommendation of the division.

Ka Ting should be responsible for poor show in election

Chua denied that what he has done or said have been targeted at MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.

"I am not targeting at anyone. However, he is the MCA leader, and is therefore responsible for all major issues of the party, including a poor show in the general election."

"To be fair to him, Ka Ting has indeed done all his best to help solve the problems of the Chinese community, during his tenure as the party president. However, I cannot agree with his low-key or "quiet" way of doing things. Moreover, he didn't clearly and promptly manifest his stand on controversial issues such as Hindref, and hoisting of keris."

He said, even if Ka Ting has announced that he would not run for the president again, he still should have voiced up on those issues.

Not weakened in Johor

Chua Soi Lek, a political figure once seen as the MCA strongman in Johor, denies that his influences have been undermined in Johor.

He said that was purely the speculation of the media.

"I have been active in MCA Johor for well over two decades."

"I am not a person trying to solicit support with my Cabinet post."

He said, if he were a politician whose influences have been weakened, why are there so many leaders still cautious about him and trying to learn about his intentions?

"Two days ago I went to see some divisional leaders, and they said they had received the instruction from the party leadership not to see me. Funny! Why do these party delegates have to ask whether Chua Soi Lek would be visiting their divisions?"

However, he insisted that take the support from party members and delegates for granted.

On MCA Johor, he said, "I am a Johorean. I was born here, and will die here too."

He said, some of the leaders have treated Johor as the safe zone for MCA. They try to get a seat here, get into the government, and then say goodbye to the state. Sin Chew Daily