Penang MCA will not rule out the possibility of seat swaps and loans among Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties in the state, as a strategy to ensure BN's victory in the 14th general election.

Its secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan said MCA is very open and had accepted the fact it could not compete on its own strength and that it needed support and cooperation from BN component parties to ensure victory.

"We need to collaborate with other BN component parties. We have lost two terms (in Penang) and we need to accept the fact that if we have seats, but the candidates from any other BN component parties are stronger, then we should acknowledge them and give our support to the candidates.

"And, if there were seats held by another component party, but our candidates seem stronger in those constituencies, then we may persuade them (component parties) to give our candidates a chance to compete."

He said this to reporters after officially opening the Pengkalan Kota State Constituency community service centre in George Town today.

Ong, who is also International Trade and Industry Minister II, said to date no decision had been made on the matter at the central level.

Meanwhile, he said the Penang MCA had submitted the name list of candidates to be screened by the top leaders, with 50 percent of them being new faces.

In the 13th general election, Penang MCA lost in all of its 10 state seats and four Parliamentary seats contested.

- Bernama