Tan Cheng Liang who is also Nibong Tebal MCA division chief and polled 116 votes against Bayan Baru division chief Ooi Siew Kim's 114 votes, said she had expected a 50-50 contest from the beginning. Tan said she was confident she could reform the state MCA Wanita wing.
Asked whether she would contest a higher position in the national Wanita wing, she said she would “go slowly.”
Ooi, the Bayan Baru division chief, is eligible to contest at national level as she is a division chief while Tan is Nibong Tebal division chief.
Ooi is the only incumbent who lost her post while Chew and Tan Ah Eng retained their posts respectively in Selangor and Johor.
Tan Ah Eng retained her post with a 50-vote majority against her opponent, Yong Peng state assemblyman Lim Kee Mooi. Tan polled 366 votes while Lim managed 316 votes.
In SELANGOR, former Kinrara state assemblyman Dr Kow Cheong Wei is the new Selangor MCA Youth chief after he defeated Sheah Kok Fah.
Dr Kow is the wing’s outgoing secretary while Sheah was the deputy chief of the wing.
An environmental consultant, Dr Kow, 42, polled 441 votes while Sheah obtained 383 votes.
Dr Kow said the grassroots had given a clear signal that MCA’s position in Barisan Nasional had to be evaluated.
He, however, ruled out the move to pull out from the coalition, saying it was important to seek a solution now that Barisan was experiencing difficulties.
In the FEDERAL TERRITORY, Chiew Lian Keng, won the contest to head the Federal Territory MCA Youth wing’s top post.
Chiew, 44, who polled 201 votes, beat his two other opponents Ling Yoke Huei (116 votes) and Dr Toh Kian Kok (46 votes).
Chiew said the state youth wing would undergo transformation to look for a new direction to serve the Chinese community.
In PENANG, Taman Berapit MCA branch Youth chief Eng Hiap Boon was elected the new Penang MCA Youth chief.
He polled 91 votes to beat three other contenders for the post at the state MCA Youth annual general meeting in Bayan Lepas near here last night.
Those who lost were Reservoir Garden branch chairman Ng Siew Khoon who polled 73 votes, Bukit Mertajam division secretary Ong Tang Chuan with 49 votes and Kolam Air branch chairman Lim Ching Yang who only got seven votes.
The post became vacant as the incumbent, Ooi Chuan Aik, was over the age limit.
In JOHOR, MCA deputy organising secretary Haw Chin Teck, who was aligned to MCA Youth secretary-general Dr Wee Ka Siong, won the Johor Youth chief’s post by polling 444 votes.
His opponent Gelang Patah division chief Teoh Sew Hock received 393 votes.
In KEDAH, businessman Ong Soon Boon is the new state MCA Youth chief.
The 40-year-old Pendang MCA Youth treasurer polled 142 votes to beat two other contenders at the state MCA Youth annual general meeting.
MCA auditor Teh Gee Yau garnered 133 votes while outgoing state MCA Youth deputy chief Gan Hor Chye only managed 32 votes.
Ong will take over from Datuk Boey Chin Gan who did not seek re-election.
Calling all youth leaders in the state to close ranks, Ong said he would rope in more Chinese youths in Kedah to join as party members.
In PERAK, Dr Mah Hang Soon is the new Youth chief.
-THE STAR-