I still regard Ong as my friend, says Liow

2009/11/08

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he still regarded party boss Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat as a friend despite their political differences.

"I have always been Ong's friend and comrade, but one should be clear to differentiate between friendship and party struggle.

"I have been supporting him until Oct 10, when delegates (at the EGM) made a decision, and we as leaders were obliged to abide by this decision. So it is not about whether I am a friend or not," Liow said after he presided over the Malaysian Institute of Art convocation here yesterday.

He said there was, therefore, no reason for anyone to think he had betrayed Ong or that he was a traitor.

"For no reason, I was sucked into this whole system, having being elected deputy president based on the interpretation of the EGM decision by the central committee.

"I'm just following the party constitution, so there's no reason for Ong to say I had betrayed him and was a traitor."

Liow said it was important for everyone to go back to the root of the issue to understand his stand and actions which were consistent with the struggle to improve the party's credibility and earn the community's respect.

Asked to comment on Ong's call for him to be part of the unity plan for the party, he said: "The basic thing is that you must be sincere and trustworthy in putting forth such a plan, otherwise it would be difficult for the party to forge ahead.

"My concern is the credibility of the party, not my personal gain. If the plan manages to get the full support of delegates and the Chinese community, I am all for it."

Liow said the holding of a second EGM on Oct 28 by the group of CC members aligned to him would be an appropriate means to get this mandate.

Asked if the removal of Datuk Leong Tang Chong as chairman of the board of directors of MCA-owned Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad on Thursday was politically motivated, he said: "It appears so as it had happened so fast.

"I don't understand why it was done, but it should not have happened as it was wrong to involve politics in the board of the company."

According to an announcement on the company's website, Leong is now a non-executive director.

Leong was sacked as the MCA legal bureau chief on Oct 20.

Asked if he would take legal action against the Registrar of Societies for its decision to reinstate Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as MCA deputy president, Liow said he would be writing to the ROS for a clarification.

"It is important that we have to let the ROS know that it had misinterpreted the party constitution in giving its decision."