KOTA KINABALU: Former MCA president Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek never suggested that MCA should leave Barisan, said Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The MCA president said there was a misinterpretation of what Dr Chua said during an interview with Malaysiakini last month, as he did not think that Dr Chua asked for MCA to leave Barisan.
"That is why I feel surprised when you said Dr Chua asked us not to contest. I also watched the Malaysiakini interview and I spoke to Tan Sri. I think what you (the reporter) said is different from what he (Dr Chua) said," he said.
Dr Wee made these comments after officiating the Sabah MCA annual general meeting here on Saturday (Sept 6).
The Ayer Hitam MP said from his understanding, Dr Chua had said that if MCA had ‘no more place, then why still stand there’.
"But he also said it's up to the leadership to decide. So no, I don’t think it was written in the right context.
"What I mean is, what was quoted was incomplete," he stressed, adding that Dr Chua had also stated that in politics, one day is too long.
Dr Wee also urged the public to watch the video again and he denied the article which quoted Chua as asking MCA to leave Barisan.
"That is not what Dr Chua said," he said.
Last month, Dr Chua was quoted as telling MCA to leave Barisan if it was barred from contesting seats it previously lost twice, a rule that only allowed incumbent parties to contest seats they held in the next general election.
Dr Chua was also quoted as saying that MCA’s participation under such rules was meaningless and was akin to being a fake hero.
