Roadshow to boost leaders' morale - NST

KUALA LUMPUR: April 26, 2008

The MCA leadership will organise a roadshow to the four states held by the Pakatan Rakyat to meet with grassroots leaders in an effort to boost their morale and to gather feedback from the ground.

"It is crucial that we do this now because the status of MCA in Penang, Perak, Kedah and Selangor has changed dramatically," said MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting after chairing the party's presidential council meeting yesterday.

"We need to be there for our supporters, to offer direction and to plan ahead so that the party's structure will remain strong in these states."

He denied that the road show was a countermeasure to the "Save MCA" campaign led by the party's public service and complaints department's head of legal advisers Datuk Theng Book, who is in the midst of inciting grassroot leaders to demand for Ong's resignation.

"There is no such thing as the 'Save MCA' campaign.

"It is only a small group of people who think the party needs saving," Ong said.

"What we are doing has nothing to do with party elections.

"Naturally when the party performs badly at the general election there will be complaints from some fractions in the party.

"But my focus now is not on that, it is on reforming and rebuilding the party."

On the pig farming project announced by the Selangor state government, which has come under fire from Muslim groups and Umno, Ong said the MCA supported the project.

"Our stand is that the pig farming industry must be allowed to continue in Malaysia and they must be provided with the necessary amenities for it to flourish.

"So whichever political party or groups who are unfairly hindering this industry, the MCA will have none of it."

He added that the RM100 million project in Sepang was approved by the previous Barisan Nasional administration and therefore it should be implemented.