No additional posts for Chinese party: Malaysia

No additional posts for Chinese party: Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday he would not increase the number of cabinet posts held by an influential Chinese party whose president is quitting his government.

Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik, who heads the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), the largest party in the ruling coalition after Mahathir's own, announced on Monday he was leaving the cabinet after 14 years.

Ling's surprise departure sent a shiver of political uncertainty through Mahathir's ruling coalition -- which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957 -- and rattled financial markets.

Ling gave no reason, but politicians speculated his departure stemmed from dissatisfaction in his party over the number of cabinet posts it was given after performing well in general elections last November.

The poll saw ethnic Chinese voters loyal to the MCA help Mahathir's coalition weather an erosion of support within the prime minister's United Malays National Organization, made up mostly of Muslim Malays.

Mahathir was asked if he would consider boosting the number of posts the Chinese party holds in the government. It now holds four ministerial portfolios, including transport, and six junior ministerial posts.

"As far as the numbers are concerned, we have given due consideration to the MCA," Mahathir told reporters in the capital. "I don't think we can just increase the numbers just like that without upsetting other parties."

Asked to comment on Ling's party's contribution to the governing coalition's victory last year, Mahathir said: "Today one does well, the next day one does not do so well. As you can see, when the MCA did not do well, we did not reduce their representation. It's very bad to try and respond to a certain situation without thinking of the future."

MCA deputy president Lim Ah Lek and three other party leaders met Mahathir on Tuesday and urged the prime minister to persuade Ling not to leave. Lim did not say how Mahathir reacted. But Ling said on Tuesday his decision was final.

"When it is time to go, the time has come for you to go," the official Bernama news agency quoted him as saying.

Mahathir said he would study Ling's recommendation that MCA vice president Chan Kong Choy succeed him as transport minister. But the prime minister said the post was not meant to be filled permanently by the MCA, one of 14 parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

"We have to make an assessment of who is qualified to hold the post," he said.

Asked if Ling's departure would trigger a broad cabinet reshuffle, Mahathir said: "At least we will have to fill in the vacant spot. We have to make some adjustments. Maybe one who has more experience will take the post."

In another development, Mahathir warned Asian and African nations on Tuesday that their interests are threatened by rich nations "ganging up" and by the rise of the "new capitalists."

The 74-year-old premier said developing nations must work together to ensure they do not suffer from the world's push for greater globalization and liberalization.

"Alone, we can do practically nothing to help ourselves," he said. "But if we act together, we may yet be able to influence the processes which affect us."

Mahathir, who has long accused Western nations of using free markets and globalization to quash competition from growing Third World economies, said Asia and Africa should form "smart partnerships" to boost mutual trade and services.

"As you will have noted, the rich countries of the North are ganging up while their corporations are merging to form huge specialized companies," he said.

Opening the Third Asia-Africa Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir also warned of the "new capitalists," who are backed by powerful governments.