From the New Straits Times dated 6th October 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: The contest for the MCA presidency has taken a nasty turn as the two candidates took potshots at each other yesterday.
Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat criticised his opponent, Datuk Chua Jui Meng, for evading a commitment to participate in a live televised debate.
Chua deflected the accusation, saying that Ong was not telling the whole story.
Ong, at a press conference, implied that his rival had rejected an invitation for a debate due to his poor command of Mandarin.
"Two months ago, the Chinese media had suggested a televised debate on Astro between myself and the other candidates, which I agreed to even if there were no clear opponents at the time.
"However, it did not materialise because my opponent rejected the debate as it was to be done in Mandarin," Ong said without naming Chua, who is English-educated.
Ong stopped short of accusing Chua of wasting time in deciding whether or not there should be a debate.
"I have already indicated that I have time in early October. After that, I will have my hands full with the approaching MCA elections and my responsibilities as a minister.
"Coincidentally, from Oct 13 to 16, we are hosting the Routes International Conference for air carriers and airport managers from the world over, and I have been asked to settle the issue of landing rights (in Malaysia).
"With all that in mind, I end up having to follow (the schedule of) a person who is retired.
"Retirees would have a lot of time on their hands," he said.
Chua, contacted by phone in Kota Kinabalu, said he pulled out because Astro could not agree to having the debate in both Mandarin and English.
He said he could not accept the condition of exclusivity set by the company, which would bar him from accepting debate invitations from other media organisations.
"Although I am English-educated, I can debate in Mandarin, English and Malay.
"In today's Malaysia, the party (MCA) cannot communicate in only one language.
"Tan Sri Wong See Wah (MCA disciplinary board member) has said that our command of English must improve to match that of the Pakatan Rakyat.
"Our standards are too low, so the opposition overwhelmed us.
"Even in the cabinet, English is used 95 per cent of the time," said the former health minister.
Chua noted he had agreed to a debate invitation from Sin Chew Daily a month ago. "However, they have not come back to me and I don't know how he (Ong) responded to them," he said.
Chua stressed that personal attacks would do nothing to help rebuild the party.
"The next (MCA) president will have to build up the party from a position of crisis and this is the biggest challenge that will face a party president in 60 years.
"The party cannot be saved by criticising your protagonist.
"Let's go back to what is important, that is to rebuild, restore and revitalise and this is in both our manifestos," he said.
KUALA LUMPUR: The contest for the MCA presidency has taken a nasty turn as the two candidates took potshots at each other yesterday.
Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat criticised his opponent, Datuk Chua Jui Meng, for evading a commitment to participate in a live televised debate.
Chua deflected the accusation, saying that Ong was not telling the whole story.
Ong, at a press conference, implied that his rival had rejected an invitation for a debate due to his poor command of Mandarin.
"Two months ago, the Chinese media had suggested a televised debate on Astro between myself and the other candidates, which I agreed to even if there were no clear opponents at the time.
"However, it did not materialise because my opponent rejected the debate as it was to be done in Mandarin," Ong said without naming Chua, who is English-educated.
Ong stopped short of accusing Chua of wasting time in deciding whether or not there should be a debate.
"I have already indicated that I have time in early October. After that, I will have my hands full with the approaching MCA elections and my responsibilities as a minister.
"Coincidentally, from Oct 13 to 16, we are hosting the Routes International Conference for air carriers and airport managers from the world over, and I have been asked to settle the issue of landing rights (in Malaysia).
"With all that in mind, I end up having to follow (the schedule of) a person who is retired.
"Retirees would have a lot of time on their hands," he said.
Chua, contacted by phone in Kota Kinabalu, said he pulled out because Astro could not agree to having the debate in both Mandarin and English.
He said he could not accept the condition of exclusivity set by the company, which would bar him from accepting debate invitations from other media organisations.
"Although I am English-educated, I can debate in Mandarin, English and Malay.
"In today's Malaysia, the party (MCA) cannot communicate in only one language.
"Tan Sri Wong See Wah (MCA disciplinary board member) has said that our command of English must improve to match that of the Pakatan Rakyat.
"Our standards are too low, so the opposition overwhelmed us.
"Even in the cabinet, English is used 95 per cent of the time," said the former health minister.
Chua noted he had agreed to a debate invitation from Sin Chew Daily a month ago. "However, they have not come back to me and I don't know how he (Ong) responded to them," he said.
Chua stressed that personal attacks would do nothing to help rebuild the party.
"The next (MCA) president will have to build up the party from a position of crisis and this is the biggest challenge that will face a party president in 60 years.
"The party cannot be saved by criticising your protagonist.
"Let's go back to what is important, that is to rebuild, restore and revitalise and this is in both our manifestos," he said.
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