KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 - Losing MCA presidential candidate Chua Jui Meng is all set to defect to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) this Saturday, the opposition party sources confirmed today.
The sources said the former health minister has already communicated the matter to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and will make an announcement to his Bakri division tonight.
“The defection is set for 2pm in Bandar Sunway,” a PKR source told The Malaysian Insider.
Anwar declined comment today but said it was up to Chua to make the announcement. Chua could not be contacted for comment.
But Bakri MCA division secretary Kelvin Lim said Chua had called for an emergency meeting tonight at 7pm to discuss his position as division chairman.
“The emergency meeting will be held at the division office in Jalan Bakri, Muar tonight. After 7.30pm, a statement is expected to be released to the media. Datuk (Chua Jui Meng) has more or less made up his mind,” Lim was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.
The 64-year-old has been Bakri MCA division chief for 23 years. He ran for the MCA president’s post twice but lost to Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting in 2005 and Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat last year.
The lawyer’s impending resignation is the latest sign of fractious politics in the MCA as deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was recently issued a notice to appear before the party disciplinary board over his 2007 sex DVD scandal.
The Malaysian Insider understands that Dr Chua was issued a notice to appear before the disciplinary board on Aug 4 to answer charges of bringing disrepute to the party more than 1½ years after DVDs were circulated of a sexual tryst he had with his mistress.
In late 2007, the DVDs, which were believed to be of secret recordings by unknown parties of Dr Chua and his partner engaged in sexual acts, were circulated in the MCA man’s home state of Johor.
By early 2008, Dr Chua admitted to being the man in the DVD and resigned as the health minister and party vice-president after accusing political rivals in MCA of being behind the recordings.
Now, he is being hauled up again on the same charges. The latest move, believed to be backed by supporters of Ong, is likely to set in motion a bitter fight.
Supporters of Dr Chua are now likely to go ahead with a plan to call for an extraordinary general meeting to possibly remove Ong as party president.
MCA, the most senior party after Umno in the 13-member Barisan Nasional coalition, has been through major splits within its ranks including a time when the late Tun Ghafar Baba had to act as president when bringing warring factions together in the 1980s.
But Chua’s defection could boost Anwar’s efforts to stitch back the Pakatan Rakyat coalition that has been fraying due to quarrels between the three allies and within the respective parties.
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