BUKIT GELUGOR: Not contesting does not mean fear of losing - Liow

MCA's decision not to contest the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary by-election on May 25 does not mean the party is afraid of losing, its president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said on Saturday.

Instead, he said the party had a very important agenda of focusing on the constitutional crisis sparked by PAS' attempt to implement the hudud law.

"We also obtained grass roots opinions as well and the decision was made with the blessings of the Barisan Nasional component parties," he told reporters after a dinner function here.

Although not contesting in its traditional seat, Liow said the party would still continue to serve the Bukit Gelugor constituents.

"We are in the process of undergoing transformation. We are injured now and we need to recover fast," he added.

The Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent Karpal Singh in a road accident on April 17.

In the 13th General Election last year, the late Karpal Singh defeated MCA candidate Teh Beng Yeam of Barisan Nasional (BN) by a majority of 42,706 votes.