KUALA LUMPUR – 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 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.

Things will change and happen

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 member Tan Chai Ho.

Incumbent Ong Tee Keat and his predecessor Ong Ka Ting have both announced their candidacies for the top post while former vice-president Kong Cho Ha has confirmed he will be going for the No 2.

Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen and former Petaling Jaya Utara MP Donald Lim have both announced they will vie for the vice-president's posts.

Former deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek, who is widely known to be an arch contender to the two Ongs, has yet to announce his candidacy.

Chua and former vice-president Liow Tiong Lai, who is expected to now go for the deputy presidency, are likely to announce their decisions on Sunday, eve of  nomination day.

The two had been responsible for leading 22 CC members to resign, paving the way for fresh polls ahead of the party's  triennial assembly next year.  

Ka Ting off-set situation

Ka Ting's announcement last Tuesday to go for the presidency has 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 has not been welcomed by some quarters.

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

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, including 25 for CC members. The main election is for the president, deputy president and four vice presidents posts. Nomination will be from 1pm to 5pm. — Bernama