Published: Sunday November 15, 2009 MYT 11:30:00 AM
Updated: Sunday November 15, 2009 MYT 9:43:52 PM
MCA: Unity plan is for all in the party, says Ong
By NG SI HOOI
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA will never close its door on anyone wanting to work for stability and unity in the party.
Party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat stressed the greater unity plan was an “inclusive one” for all in the party.
“It is not my greater unity plan. It is our greater unity plan.
“The plan is a brainchild of party leaders after holding several sessions of brainstorming to map out such a strategy and a move,” said Ong when asked to comment whether the faction led by vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai would be included in the greater unity plan if they decided to participate.
He spoke to reporters after the close-door dialogue with MCA grassroots leaders at Wisma MCA here on Sunday.
Ong added the unity plan would help to stabilise the party at all the levels and would help prepare the party for the next general election.
Asked about his relatonship with Liow, Ong said he had been in contact with Liow.
“It is incorrect to say that none of us here, including Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and myself, did not communicate with him,” said the Transport Minister.
Ong also denied a newspaper report in which Liow claimed that president and Dr Chua was out to fix him.
“We do not have time to “fix” anyone. What we want is to put the party together. We do not have anything personal,” he said.
Dr Chua, also at the press conference, denied Liow’s accusation as well, saying: “I think it is unfair to say that I want to fix Liow.
“He is a minister and I am a nobody. It is very likely that he wants to fix me.”
Ong said he was proud of the support given by grassroots leaders at the dialogue.
“The outcome of the dialogue will be discussed in the up-coming central committee meeting on Wednesday,” he said.
More than 80% of the MCA divisions had sent representatives to attend Sunday's closed-door briefing of the greater unity plan.
Dr Chua, who headed the briefing, said earlier that there were members from 155 out of the 191 divisions present this morning.
He also said some 620 party leaders attended the briefing, which was more than 70%.
Dr Chua said the briefing touched on direct elections for party leaders.
"The grassroots want a new mechanism to elect new leadership so that there will be more participation from them," he said, adding that this would be further discussed in the central committee meetings.
He said a committee might be set up to look into this.
The briefing, which had started at 9am, was expected to end at 12pm, to be followed by the press conference. However, it only ended at 1.15pm.
The briefing was headed by Dr Chua, who chairs the 12-member unity plan task force while president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat wrapped it up.
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