IPOH: MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said the party could lose everything, but never should it forego its own sovereignty.
During a "Unity Dinner" with Chinese associations in Ipoh Monday night, he said someone inside the party had attempted to mobilise massive manpower and resources to topple him and get rid of his transport minister post.
He said it would be far more meaningful if such resources had been otherwise channelled towards reclaiming of the RM1.64bn lost in the PKFZ scandal.
He added that some people had lashed out on him mercilessly and tried to wipe him out of politics.
He said some wealthy and powerful people had tried to get close to the Malays in order to consolidate their own businesses, adding that he had spent too much time tracking down the PKFZ scandal that he did not have time entertaining these people.
He also said Chinese associations should not allow these wealthy and powerful people to determine how they should stand.
On whether Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had been unhappy with the current situation in MCA, Ong said he had no idea, saying that he had just been discharged from hospital.
However, he said he was aware of the meeting between MCA leaders and DPM Muhyiddin on Sunday night, but did not know the details of their meeting.
He also said it would be up to the MCA central committee to decide whether the the general assembly should be held as scheduled on 5 December.
He told the guests at the dinner that he had been served with three yellow cards throughout his political career, and was not sure whether he would get a red card soon.
"I received the first blow in 2002 after I was elected the MCA Youth chairman. I was looking into the issue that some well-performing Chinese students had been denied admission into local universities back then.
"My second yellow card came in 2006 when I was the deputy higher education minister and MCA vice president, for revealing the misappropriation of allocations for Chinese primary schools.
"The third yellow card was served this year when I was probing the PKFZ scandal, which later also triggered the MCA crisis."
He said some quarters within MCA had accused him of holding on to power, but he said if he were to hold on to power, he wouldn't have attempted to raise the PKFZ issue at all.
He advised Chinese associations in the country not to beat around the bushes on unproductive issues, but should instead focus their resources and wisdom on issues pertaining to the Chinese community and make plans for their future. (Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)
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