KUALA LUMPUR: Incumbent MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has remained non-committal on the possibility of having a pact with certain party leaders in defending his post.

Ong said he was busy with government matters and that it was his duty as a cabinet minister to put national interest first, adding that he had not been spending a large amount of time to campaign for votes to retain the top party post.

"How to form any pact when you are always here in the Dewan or having meetings here in parliament?" he said to reporters when met at parliament lobby on Thursday, March 18.

Ong said the question of whether he would form a pact with a particular leader or faction had not arisen at this stage, stressing "there cannot be more than one winner" in the contest for the presidency.

"What is important is I just deliver what I promise and am committed to. Win or lose, I leave it to the central delegates," he said, when asked if he could retain the presidency from his current support base alone.

The transport minister said he had no right to stop the formation of any pacts among the various factions in the party, following speculation that several party leaders had a common understanding not to face off for the same post at the March 28 election.

Former party president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting earlier this week announced that he would be contesting the presidency following calls by "concerned members".

Former deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, another potential contender, is expected to announce on Sunday whether he would be going for the top post.

Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, a former vice-president, is believed to be making an announcement on his candidacy on Friday, with talk of him going for the No 2 post heating up.

Fresh election for the MCA central committee (CC) was called after the minimum two-thirds, or 21 of the 31 elected CC members, resigned earlier this month.