MCA today came out in defence of Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek against attacks and ridicule following the party president’s decision to stay out of the 13th General Election (GE13).

The party’s national organising secretary Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said that it was not true that Chua did not obtain Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s permission to contest, a claim made by DAP’s advisor Lim Kit Siang.

Asking Kit Siang to ‘do his homework’, Tee remarked that Lim’s “favourite pastime must be making speculations and coming up with theories on any news reports, as doing them require no responsibility.”

“This must be his trick in how he got involved in politics... Kit Siang always makes these guesses only to boost his own publicity image,” added Tee.

He also said that the DAP veteran has failed to talk about any of his own achievements.

Tee explained that his president had “made it very clearly before hand that he does not wish to contest” and that MCA fully supports his decision and his leadership.

On Thursday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek announced that he will not be contesting in the GE13 but will be leading the party's election campaign.

Chua said that he was “walking the talk” to allow new and young leaders to be part of the party's rejuvenation process for it to continue to remain relevant.

"This is in line with the renewal process to reinvent and reinvigorate the party, and to groom new leaders to take charge. I want to prove a point that I am fighting for a cause, that MCA remains relevant, and continue to lead the party without standing for elected public office," he had said.

In response, Lim had said that he pitied the former health minister and MP for Labis between 2004 to 2008, for being the first MCA president not to be fielded in an election.