Dinner with Ong Tee Keat is not feed for rumours ;-)

On 3rd of March 2010, I was at  a Chinese New Year dinner hosted by Persatuan Usahawan Maju Malaysia (PUMM) and Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat was also one of the invited guests.  Both of us arrived at the same time and we were put to sit together in the VIP table together with the President of PUMM.

You know, I have not have a chance to chit chat with Ong ever since he became the President of MCA. In the past, I used to “tease” him and he used to reply me in manners that showed he has a sense of humour.  But since he took over the helm of MCA, and he is always look very busy in the Parliament. I hardly see him having a break at the Parliament lounge too.

Seeing as how we were at the same table, I complained to him about the problems faced by the Selangor people over the  proposed LRT line extension.

I informed him that one of the great concerns for Selangor State government and the elected reps is that the  extension line doesn’t go through the populated lower middle class area at Shah Alam. I’ve spoken with the line extension consultant who said that they are trying to save cost and to change their planned LRT line extension route in that area could cost the government another RM 500 million which I doubt

I told Ong Tee Keat that Selangor would prefer the line to go through the populated area.

I also alerted him about the reaction of the residents of Kampung Sri Aman in Puchong where they have protested strongly against the proposal in its current form because the LRT line has bypassed their kampung and the depot has to be installed at the village. They have proposed an alternative route. They claim that the route which was promised to them in the past is not what is being presented to the public today. I asked Ong to look into this.

He told me that he has ordered Prasarana to do public hearing on the LRT extension. I’m happy to know that. This is exactly what a government should do if it wants to shout the slogan of “rakyat didahulukan” (people’s first).   

We also chit chated about his health. I asked him about his surgery. He told me how he had stem cells injected to cure his ailing leg.

He also told me about the incident where a few months ago, he did not attend the meeting that called by Muhyiddin to resolve the conflict between Chua Soi Lek and him due to being admitted to hospital that night for stomach discomfort. Some people had speculated that he was pretending to “ponteng”, but he said he was really sick that day and no “foul play”. Ha ha! It is always good to hear from the horse’s mouth :-))

While we were chit-chatting, the Chinese press photographers kept taking photos of us. Ong told me that the media might write the story about me inviting him to join the DAP or he inviting me to join MCA.

Few days later, an editor in Sin Chew called me and gave me a feed back. He said a reader called the news editor to complain about me sitting together and chit-chatting with Ong in the same table. That reader doubted my “trustworthiness” for doing so.

Aiyoh!! Can you imagine I will get this kind of feedbacks for sitting together with Ong Tee Keat? Hai (sigh)!! I think this must a MCA member from the faction that’s opposing Ong.

Well, it was good to meet with Ong that night. But it might be the last time I sit down with Ong Tee Keat in his position as MCA President! :-))