SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA: Malaysian Chinese Association president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has effectively closed the door on Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek returning to the cabinet.

He said Dr Chua's current position as the head of the party's government policy monitoring bureau was best suited for him as he was the former health minister.

"Being a former minister, perhaps he is the best person to tell us issues that are confronting us now."

Asked if Dr Chua had grounds to ask to be nominated for a cabinet post as he is the party deputy president, Ong said: "Obsession. Nothing more, nothing less."

He said this after christening the main boulevard, known as Jalan Multimedia in i-City here yesterday.

On Dr Chua's statement that his scope of duties in the bureau would also include investigating MCA ministers, Ong said it was in line with what he had in mind.

Ong said when he set up the bureau, he wanted it to handle feedback from the people and also their aspirations.

The war of words between the two MCA leaders have been hogging the headlines recently as speculation mounted that Dr Chua was demanding a ministerial post.

The current animosity between them started when Dr Chua was not appointed party liaison chief of any state, but asked to head the bureau instead.

Dr Chua told the media that he was being sidelined by the new leadership, going as far to accuse Ong of lying that his name had been submitted for a cabinet post.

Dr Chua clarified later that he never asked to be given a government post but was merely questioning Ong's integrity.