Ong: HK$1mil watch a gift to MCA

Ong: HK$1mil watch a gift to MCA:

"KUALA LUMPUR – Ong Tee Keat has denied that a watch said to be worth more than HK$1mil (RM450,000) was presented to him as a personal gift.

"Better frame it up and allow for display at Wisma MCA or else it could be misconstrue as induced corruption!"

The MCA president said it was given in the name of the party.

'It was given to me in my capacity as the president of MCA and I will keep it as a memento in the name of the party,' he told reporters after holding a dialogue session with representatives of the Federation of Chinese Guilds and Associations here today.

Reason for gift

He said the watch, presented by a watchmaker from Hong Kong at a function in Penang yesterday, was unique and had motifs based on religion.

'There's nothing secretive about it. To me, I am still what I am and the reason why he presented that timepiece, according to his explanation, was because he was touched by my commitment and our (MCA) commitment in pursuing the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) debacle,' he said in a Bernama report.

On today's meeting, Ong, who is also Transport Minister, said among the issues raise by representatives of the 27 guilds in the federation were on challenges the business sector would face this year as well as job opportunities for school leavers."