PETALING JAYA: From the information available to Sin Chew Daily, it is highly likely for MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to double up as Johor and Selangor state liaison committee chairman.

It has been learned that among the 26 divisions in Johor, more than half have so far expressed their wish to have Tee Keat taking charge of the state committee.

As deputy president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek and vice president Tan Kok Hong are both from Johor, some of the divisions are concerned that the Chua camp will gain further strength in the state, which will then pin down on the central committee.

Consequently, they feel that it will be better for the party president to also chair the state committee in a bid to strike a balance between the two opposing forces.

It has been learned that there are only six to eight divisions still loyal to Chua, while more than half of the divisions are against him, and the other two to three wish to have Tan Kok Hong taking over the state chair.

However, some divisions are also worried that if Tan is made the state chairman, his delicate relationship with Chua will put Johor into the hands of the "Chua-Tan" team.

Although Tan has shown some inclination towards the Ong camp during the recent party elections, the re-election of Chua Soi Lek into the party leadership has also been beyond the expectations of many, and this may put Tan, an erstwhile Chua supporter, in a dilemma.

Besides, it has been an MCA tradition in Johor to have the party president or a Cabinet minister to take the Johor chair, especially after the March general elections which have made Johor an apparent political bastion for both MCA and BN.

It is generally believed that Tee Keat will carry on with the party traditions, negotiating with the Johor menteri besar in his capacity as a Cabinet minister representing MCA. It is believed that he will accept the invitation of state grassroots members to become the Johor liaison committee chairman, while delegating some of the important affairs in the state to Tan Kok Hong.

However, it is also very likely for Tee Keat to continue serving as Selangor state committee chairman, leading the state MCA to recoup seats lost to Pakatan Rakyat in the last general elections.

Selangor has been an important state for MCA which unexpectedly fell into the hands of Pakatan Rakyat in the March general elections. It is generally believed that the grassroots will be frustrated if Tee Keat delegates this important mission to someone else.

He took over the state chair from Datuk Ch'ng Toh Eng after the March general elections. As MCA's only remaining MP in Selangor, he is believed to continue leading the state MCA in his capacity as a Cabinet minister as well as party president, as grassroots members have wished. (By YAN PEISHAN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)