KUALA LUMPUR: MCA presidential candidate Datuk Chua Jui Meng had plenty to gripe about - the party, its leadership and political culture - during a two-hour press conference yesterday. And he saved his more stinging criticisms for incumbent president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.

The party veteran and outgoing vice-president started off by poking fun at Ong for refusing to openly debate him.

"If the most powerful man on earth, the president of the United States, can find the humility and courage to engage in open debates, I don't see why the MCA president cannot do so," Chua said.

"MCA is not a baby party, it is 56 years old. Yet he (Ong) says the president cannot debate, which is what past MCA leaders have been doing against the Opposition."

Chua's other peeves:

Party culture: "Delegates keep telling me that they are told they cannot meet me. I understand why they cannot expose themselves.

"I say MCA's political culture is undemocratic. And this will change when I win (on Saturday). When I win, you all can come out in the open and help me reform the party."

Contacted for his comments, MCA election steering committee chairman Tan Sri Dr Sak Cheng Lum said he had not received any complaint about delegates being told not to meet certain candidates.

"The committee doesn't see such a problem and I don't know where the complaints are coming from," he told theSun.

"There are no rules to restrict delegates from meeting candidates, but it is the delegates' individual right to decide whether or not to meet the candidates," he said.

Vision: "Just three pieces of paper fluttering in the air is their vision? When I released my manifesto on July 8, he (Ong) says he does not need a manifesto or vision.

"Suddenly, he has regained his vision and talks about reforms, coming up with this statement which he dare not call a manifesto. The statement contains a brief of what my 20-page manifesto outlined for master plans to be formulated for the community."

Leadership: Responding to reports quoting Ong as saying "a leader must look near, if not you will fall into the drain", he said: "Looking near is the daily routine job of a leader. But the president must have a vision for a road map for the future. Without one, it is like a ship without a radar."

English-speaking: On a Chinese newspaper's claim that 70% of the party central committee (CC) would support a Chinese-educated leader, Chua remarked: "So, what has the CC been doing with the English-educated (Tun Dr) Ling Liong Sik, who led the party for 17 years and others?"

Teamwork: "The existence of phantom members was the main reason that split the party into Teams A and B. It is also an insult to all delegates to imply that a change in party leadership would split the party.

"Deputy presidential candidates like (Datuk Seri Chan) Kong Choy and Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh had both expressed that they can work with anyone, so we should respect the decision of the delegates to work with the leaders they elect.

"I had served as vice-president for 15 years and I know most of them."

• Incumbency proves a boon for winners
• Liow, Ling at the helm
• MCA Youth 2005 elections results
• MCA Wanita 2005 elections results
• The race is on
• Nominations proceed smoothly
• Ting looks at MCA's road ahead
• The main event
• Ting explains decision
• Ting quits panel, set to go for No. 2