KUALA LUMPUR: MCA will field a candidate in the upcoming Balakong by-election and will use its own logo.
This was announced by the party's president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today who said this was agreed unanimously by the MCA central committee members.
Liow had previously hinted on the possibility of the party using its own logo.
However Liow said that this does not mean the party would quit Barisan Nasional (BN) as MCA was one of the founders of the coalition.
“BN component party leaders and all of us agreed to focus on our internal reforms,” he said after the MCA Central Committee meeting at Wisma MCA, here, today.
“I think it’s important to go through our party reforms now and then we can talk about the coalition later.
“It is important for us as an independent party to be strong. We have to strengthen our own party first.”
Liow said there had been overwhelming support from the party’s grassroots to use its own logo.
He also said that it was high time for MCA to open up and collaborate with other parties.
“MCA should be working with all parties... it should not be limited to just a few parties,” he said.
“As an opposition party, we have to discard our historical baggage and embark on a new journey with the determination to play the role of a constructive opposition party with full of pragmatism.
“We need a lot of support from the rakyat... give us the chance to be elected so that we can play a role to check and balance the Selangor state government.
“Anything but Pakatan Harapan. We are appealing to all voters to support MCA so that the opposition pact can fight for the people," Liow said.
The decision to use their own logo will be conveyed to the other BN component parties, Liow said.
Balakong was one of MCA's stronghold, held by Datuk Hoh Hee Lee from 1995 to 2008.
In 2008, MCA fielded Dr Lai Kwong Choy in Balakong, as Hoh moved to contest for the Serdang parliamentary seat. Both lost to DAP.
In 2013, MCA fielded Lai again but lost to DAP's Eddie Ng Tien Chee.
Ng defended his seat in the 14th General Election (GE14) after defeating MCA's Lim Chin Wah and PAS' Mohamad Ibrahim Ghazali.
The Balakong state seat fell vacant following Ng's death in a car accident on July 20.
In the last general election, Ng retained the seat for a second term with a 35,538-vote majority.
The Election Commission (EC) fixed Aug 18 as nomination day while polling will take place on Sept 8.
