KUALA LUMPUR: MCA will continue to hold dialogues with religious groups, guilds, associations and professional bodies as part of the party’s transformation plan.

“In the midst of transforming the party, it is only relevant that we listen to the ground, solicit feedback and even walk the extra mile to solicit some proposals from the various groups,” said MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat after chairing a dialogue between MCA leaders and the Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism here on Jan 28.

He declined to reveal any details of the meeting but said the dialogue managed to solicit in-depth responses and suggestions from the various faith bodies’ representatives.

“It is premature at this junction to enumerate because some of these (matters) we need to discuss among ourselves in greater detail before we them bring up for deliberation with the authorities concerned,” Ong said.

He said the party’s responsibility was to listen, conduct fact-finding and facilitate any useful engagements with the authorities concerned.

“We are going to have more interactive sessions with the said groups as well some other groups representing the various interests of the populace,” he said, adding MCA would have sessions with guilds and associations as well as professional bodies.

On how MCA would deal with the long-standing issues facing the religious groups, he said: “We have to pull our resources and ways and means to handle such issues.”

The MCA president also said the party would not waver in championing the rights and interests of the minority groups that were enshrined in the Federal Constitution.