NOV 11 - It was a simple denial. The type politicians always reach for. No, it did not happen. No, I did not say it.
But this denial could be costly for Datuk Liow Tiong Lai. After strenuously denying that he sought Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek’s endorsement to challenge for the top position in the increasingly irrelevant Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), he must accept the reality that his options for finding support in MCA are limited.
The denial was prompted by Chua’s press conference this morning, at which the party’s deputy president nudged Liow to state publicly what prize he was really after – deputy president or president.
Chua noted that Liow at times seemed keen on the number 2 position in MCA but at times seemed to be talking up his chances for the party president’s position.
The veteran Johor politician revealed that Liow had privately appealed for support in his bid for the top position in the party.
Liow and some of his supporters in the Central Committee are pushing for an extraordinary general meeting and fresh polls.
Several hours after the press conference, Liow hit back. He denied asking Chua to support his candidacy for the presidency, calling the latter’s statement a diversion.
His denial might have bought him a few hours of peace but it has surely fractured his ties with Chua, and ended whatever hopes he had of obtaining the support of party delegates aligned to Chua.
Since the party’s EGM on Oct 10, Liow has sought the help of some of the top Chinese tycoons to fix up three meetings with Chua.
The meetings took place at the Marriott Hotel and Prince Hotel, the latest of which was yesterday. Besides Chua and Liow, the meetings were attended by one or two senior party officials.
The Malaysian Insider understands that in the earlier two meetings, Liow slammed MCA president Ong Tee Keat and offered an olive branch to Chua.
Brash even during the best of times, Chua took the opportunity to take a dig at Liow, noting that he was among the group of MCA politicians who stood with Ong and attacked Chua for a good part of the year.
At yesterday’s meeting – put together with the help of someone close to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak – Liow broached the subject of contesting the party president’s position.
He conceded that he had between 300 and 400 delegates in his corner and noted that it would not be sufficient to mount any challenge. Chua, he noted, had between 700 and 800 diehard supporters.
But Chua was puzzled why Liow was seeking an alliance with him when his supporters had been attacking him in the media for being undemocratic and for being charitable with the truth over the Registrar of Society’s decision on the status of the number two position in MCA.
He also noted that publicly the vice-president’s supporters appeared to be pushing for him to vacate the deputy president’s position while privately Liow seemed keen on the number one position. So this morning he sought to call Liow’s bluff.
Liow’s quick denial of asking Chua for help buries any hopes of a possible alliance. Without this alliance, his already difficult task of climbing up the political ladder in the MCA becomes even more remote.
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