Tee Keat: Given a choice, I would erase my history in MCA
Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat shows the extent of his bitterness by saying he doesn’t want to be remembered at all by party members.
Speaking in an interview with Malaysiakini, Ong, when asked how he would like to be remembered by party members, said: “I don’t wish for them to remember me.
“If given a choice, I would rather erase the history of my presence in MCA, including all the things I had done.
“Right or wrong, let the people judge me.”
Ong also said he no longer cared about MCA and believed the feeling was mutual.
This, he explained, was because no one from the party had tried to talk him out of quitting.
“Nobody asked me to stay. First of all, I don’t need and don’t care about others asking me to stay.”
Ong joined MCA in 1981. In 2008, under the administration of then prime minister Abdullah Badawi, he was appointed the transport minister. The same year, he contested in MCA’s polls and became the party president.
He lost both posts in 2010 after he was defeated in the party’s polls.
The 61-year-old was also the MP for Ampang Jaya for five terms. In the 2013 general election, Ong wasn’t given a seat to contest.
Ong said his resignation came into effect on Jan 2 and he told Malaysiakini the reason he left the party was to avoid making others feel uncomfortable.
“If I remain, some would think I am planning to make a comeback.
“Rather than making these people anxious, giving them the wrong perception, or creating the space for rumours…”
He admitted to have been approached by other political parties but dismissed the possibility of joining any of them.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram