FEW politicians actually retire. Hooked to the limelight and sometimes, public adulation, many of these political animals metamorphosise into creatures that keep them at the centre of attention.

Take former PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang or better known as Tian Chua. Since he stood as an independent candidate in the Batu parliamentary seat during the 15^th General Election (GE15) and lost, the pioneer reformasi activist has faded into almost political oblivion.

But just like two-time former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and eighth prime minister (PM) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, “retirement” is not in the vocabulary of Tian Chua who was sacked from PKR in January 2023 for standing against the party’s candidate in the Nov 19, 2022 poll.

Tian Chua is now actively behind Sekretariat Solidariti Palestin (SSP), a civil society movement championing the plights of Palestinians in Gaza.

Among others, the once active social activist student leader whose mates include Malaysiakini co-founders Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran has taken part in pro-Palestine rallies under the SSP ambit which saw participation from the likes of Dr Mahathir and opposition leaders like Tan Sri Hadi Awang and Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

Many of the media statements and stance taken by Tian Chua as spokesman of the SSP appear to mirror those by the opposition’s - instead of reflective of the unity government’s - even though many current Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders including PKR president and PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had been politically intimate with him during the early days of reformasi.

For example, Tian Chua had condemned the participation of several weapons manufacturers at the recently-concluded Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2024 exhibitions in Kuala Lumpur notwithstanding that the event was graced by PMX. These companies allegedly sold guns and jets used by Israel against the Palestinians in Gaza.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin had earlier defended the participation of these companies as they were “business matters that Malaysia should not interfere with”.

More recently, the Melaka-born Tian Chua, 61, was quoted in PAS organ HarakahDaily as saying that “he too supported the plight of the Palestinians despite being s Chinese”.

Is Tian Chua posturing for some political ends since the two-term former Batu MP’s long political sojourn was cut short by disqualification to seek a third term in 2018 due to a RM2,000 fine for a court case?

During the years leading to and after first becoming an MP in 2008, the former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee had several run-ins with the law. This includes a 2007 demonstration in front of the parliament where Chua had bitten a police constable’s arm during a scuffle.

But given his long years in politics, it’d be premature to brush off Tian Chua as a political has-been. People like him will grit their teeth and find ways - sometimes in an unorthodox fashion - to claw their ways back to the public spotlight or political resurrection. - May 13, 2024 

https://focusmalaysia.my/is-tian-chua-having-another-bite-at-political-fame-by-ditching-batu-entirely-to-champion-the-palestinian-cause/