Following is a statement released by former MCA president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting on Tuesday, March 16

For the last one and the half years, MCA has been rocked by serious factional in-fighting among party leaders who were elected after the October 18, 2008 AGM.

This political strife has not only brought shame to the party, but also many Malaysians particularly the Chinese community who are supporters of the party.

During this period of in-fighting, a lot of precious time has been lost and which could have been better spent to re-build and regain the trust and support of Malaysians for our party after our dismal performance in the last General Elections. If this in-fighting continues, MCA will indeed in no time become totally irrelevant, leading to its ultimate demise.

As the immediate past president of the party, it is no secret that the current state of affairs in the party has deeply saddened me. When I announced on June 28, 2008 not to seek re-election of the presidency, I thought I would be leaving the party in safe and united hands.

To my great dismay, this not only turned out to be otherwise, but also, the good values of healthy political culture; good governance and collective leadership, practised and advocated by my team during my presidency, have become almost entirely a thing of the past as soon as I have retired.

When I took over the party's leadership in May 2003 after also a tumultuous period of internal strife, one of my immediate tasks was to amend the MCA's constitution to limit the president's term to only nine years. Similarly, my team had also formulated strict financial management system including budgetary framework in the manner in which our party's assets are managed. Most of all, the party was made debt free after having fully settled our debts during my presidency.

Sadly, in the last one year or so, after putting our constitution to a severe test, it has revealed various weaknesses in the light of excessive presidential powers and the abrogation of the general assembly as the supreme body of our party. There is, therefore, an urgent need for these weaknesses to be quickly addressed and rectified.

In the last one week or so, I have received many calls from party delegates, veterans and members across the country, communicated to me through various media, asking me to return to run for the MCA presidency on March 28.

I am indeed humbled and overwhelmed by their calls.

Most importantly, I believe that their calls are motivated primarily by their genuine concern and love for the party in order to see a quick end to the damaging factional in-fighting which is going on.

To all these members who care and love the party, I say I hear you, loud and clear.

I would, therefore, like to announce my candidacy for the MCA presidency in the coming party elections.

In arriving at my decision, I am only too mindful of the fact that no one is indispensable. Neither does the party belong to any individual as the party belongs to the party members.

Of course, I could have taken the easy way out by continuingly staying out of party matters after my retirement especially should I fail to win the presidency; this would only cause me embarrassment.

However, with the current state of affairs in the party and being the immediate past president, it will indeed be selfish on my part if I do not rise to respond to this call for duty and undertake this challenge to bring stability, and restore credibility and rule of law in the party.

All in all, I am doing this out of my love and concern for the party and community.