KUALA LUMPUR: Embattled MCA Youth chief Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has denied “arranging” for his president’s first plane ride on Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd’s (KDSB) private jets.

The deputy education minister also refuted allegations that he had said he wanted to be the minister of transport.

“The first plane trip we took together with Ong was purely coincidental,” said Wee at the Parliament lobby today.

“We had attended a function together in Kuching and it was very late. We came to know that there were extra seats on KDSB’s plane bound for Kuala Lumpur and were offered a ride back.

“It is mischievous to suggest that I had arranged the ride,” he told reporters.

Wee, who has come under attack for pressuring Ong to accept the vote of no-confidence passed against him last month, said that even if he had “arranged” the maiden trip, he cannot be held accountable for subsequent rides.

Ong, whose ministry is investigating KDSB for a series of disputes in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project, had taken five trips around the country on the private jets.

The matter came to light after KDSB deputy CEO Datuk Faizal Abdullah claimed that Ong had not paid for the rides.

“I even reminded the president that it was not right for him to use the planes as his ministry was probing the company,” said Wee.

The 41-year-old also denied allegations by Social Care Foundation chairman Tan Sri Robert Phang that he had ambitions to succeed Ong as the minister of transport.

“When I met Phang, the managing director of Redtone International Bhd Wei Chuan Beng was also there. You can check with him whether I had said I want to be the next transport minister,” said Wee.

On Monday, Phang alleged that Wee said he was the most “qualified” person to take over from Ong if the latter relinquished his post as Wee has a doctorate in transportation.

Commenting on the matter, Wee said he is puzzled that an “outsider” has made such strong allegations against him and that he is coming under attack for standing by his principles.

A one-time close ally of Ong, Wee and MCA Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun are among the strongest critics of Ong’s secretive greater unity plan.

The plan was revealed by Ong last week, amid calls for the president to keep to his earlier pledge to resign if he lost the no-confidence vote on Oct 10 and cries of “secrecy” by MCA’s central committee (CC) members.

Following that, 16 CC members, including Wee, Chew, Wong Nai Chee, Datuk Wee Jeck Seng and Datuk Liew Yuen Keong, presented a requisition to the party to hold fresh elections.

Under the party constitution, an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) can be called by three ways: directed by the party president, through a requisition made by one-third of the CC members, or through a requisition made by one-third of the central delegates.

Meanwhile, when asked if he feared being sacked at MCA’s CC meeting this afternoon, Wee said: “My fate lies with the president”.

Commenting on Phang’s remarks, Chew called on the Social Care leader to keep his comments to himself as he was an “outsider”.

“He shouldn’t comment on our party affairs as he doesn’t know the full picture,” said Chew in the Parliament lobby, without elaborating.