Disputing DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s statement yesterday that Umno was the opposition party’s main enemy in the next general election, Ong said it was illogical for the DAP to ask all Chinese voters to vote for the party just to fight Umno.

"The fact is, DAP only contests in MCA-contested seats," Ong said today after he launched a Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia briefing on amendments to the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act.

On Monday, Lim was also quoted in Sin Chew Jit Poh as saying it was imperative for the DAP to win the parliamentary seats it will contest in Malacca to prevent Umno from achieving its "zero-opposition" target. Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and his secretary-general Datuk Chia Kwang Chye had on Monday disputed Lim's statement.

Ong said Lim was merely trying to fish for votes by misleading Chinese voters.

"The Barisan Nasional (BN) has a well-tested power sharing system. When Umno is stable with the support of the Malays, the MCA, which is an important strategic partner, naturally also needs to be stable and strong so that we can function effectively in the same system," Ong said.

"It is not going to be good for a multiracial society if Umno was very strong but other component parties are very weak.

"From my understanding, Umno would not want to see this (happen). It will be good for our multiracial community to be well represented in government and for us to work together.

"Let us bring development and take care of all the races," he said, adding that the BN component parties could discuss and resolve any unhappiness from the public among themselves.

Ong said, conversely, the opposition parties would not deliver on their promises or resolve people’s problems.

On MCA’s chances in the next elections, Ong said MCA would face a big challenge and would "be very careful and not be complacent and also work very hard".

On former Health Minister and party vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s appointment as the MCA Johor liaison committee adviser, Ong said there was nothing wrong with the state committee’s decision.

"It is normal tradition to appreciate the former chairman’s contributions and different states have their own practice," Ong said.

Chua resigned from all his ministerial, Parliamentary and party posts on Jan 2, a day after he admitted his involvement in a sex video, but remained a party member.

Ong, who is also the Housing and Local Government Minister, said the ministry had also identified a total of 25 local councils with high crime-prone areas which acutely needed closed-circuit-televisions (CCTVs).

"The ministry will call for tenders from suppliers at the end of the month.

"We will also work closely with the police to ensure that the CCTVs installed are compatible with the police’s monitoring system," he said.