There are those in BN who are colluding with external forces to ruin MCA, according to its president Liow Tiong Lai.

“We can see there is collaboration 'inside and outside' against MCA,” he was quoted as saying by Oriental Daily News.

Although he did not mention names, several MCA leaders have zoomed in on Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz's close ties with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

MCA leaders had questioned Lim's decision of targetting MCA instead of Nazri when it was the latter who rained insults on billionaire Robert Kuok as well as the Umno minister's silence on the Penang undersea tunnel issue.

Meanwhile, Liow also dismissed Nazri's (photo) statement that MCA no longer represented the Chinese community in Malaysia.

“Nazri cannot deny the fact that MCA still represents the Chinese.

“He should be aware of the BN spirit. Like it or not, MCA is still a Chinese party. Similarly, you cannot say Umno does not represent the Malays,” he added.

Liow said although MCA has fewer seats compared to before 2008, this does not reduce MCA's position.

As for Nazri's claim that it is DAP which represents the Chinese now, Liow said MCA continues to protect the rights of the community during the party's low and high periods.

On the contrary, he claimed that DAP would not admit to representing the Chinese when it hits a political high note.

Furthermore, he pointed out that as far as overseas Chinese are concerned, MCA is the only party which safeguards Chinese education and culture in Malaysia.

MCA had accused Nazri of doing them a disservice with his scathing attack on Kuok, who is a respected figure in the Chinese community.

Umno ministers had targetted the 94-year-old tycoon, who is currently based in Hong Kong, over an article in Malaysia Today which claimed that Kuok was funding DAP.

Kuok and DAP have denied the allegation.