All bets are off on MCA nomination day

Anxiety is building up in the run-up to the nomination for the MCA polls on Monday.

Leaders and aspirants have been criss-crossing the country to meet the delegates and seek their support, and most crucially, the very much needed endorsement for the posts they intend to contest.

Speculations and hypothesis are swirling and fast forming on who is in whose camp.

But other than that, nothing is certain and concrete. Even to the very last moment, prominent personalities still have their lips zipped on the posts they are going to contest.

Everyone has been re-analysing the situation and re-strategising.

"There are two more days to the nomination, and in these two days, many things will keep changing and happening. Just wait and see," said ex-central committee (CC) member Tan Chai Ho.

Aside from incumbent Ong Tee Keat and his predecessor Ong Ka Ting, who had announced their candidacies for the top post, Dr Ng Yen Yen and Donald Lim had confirmed that they will vie for the vice-president's posts.

Meanwhile former vice-president Kong Cho Ha has today announced that he would be going for the deputy president's post and he is expected to face another former vice-president Liow Tiong Lai.

Former deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek, who is widely known to be an arch contender to the two Ongs, will be announcing his candidacy tomorrow.

Expect surprises on Monday

Ka Ting's announcement last Tuesday had now changed the equation of the whole situation.

Despite having had a good track record in manoeuvring the party out of debt and into a period of calm and unity during his five-year tenure as the president, his intention to make a comeback was not a welcome one, at least to some.

"I respect his decision but as a retired president, he should have played his role as a mediator, not to further complicate things," Tan added.

Whatever it is, the nomination day has all the intrigue of an exciting show.

"I am sure there will be a lot of surprises on nomination day," a division chief said.

A total of 31 posts are up for grabs in the polls - one each for the president and deputy president, four for the vice-president and 25 for CC members.

Nomination will be from 1pm to 5pm.

- Bernama