The MCA is making a comeback and they ought to be given a chance to re-contest in the upcoming Kajang by election, if the state seat is indeed, in favour of their winning, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Commenting on the views of several people that Umno, instead of MCA, should contest the state seat as the party (MCA) had lost in the last general election, the former prime minister said that was up to the Barisan Nasional (BN) to decide.

In this regard, Dr Mahathir said among others, there was a need to look at the voters ethnic composition in the constituency.

"If there are more Chinese, (then it is) better we put a Chinese candidate," he told reporters when met at the MCA Chinese New Year open house at the MCA headquarters here on Friday.

Kajang has 39,030 voters of which 48.3% are Malays; Chinese (40.5%t); Indians (10%) and others (1.2%).

In 2004, the MCA won the Kajang seat but lost it in 2008 and 2013 to PKR.

In the 2013 General Election, Lee Chin Cheh (PKR) won the seat with a 6,824 majority in a six-cornered fight with MCA's Lee Ban Seng, Berjasa and three independent candidates.

On Monday however, Lee vacated the Kajang seat. The following day, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was nominated as the PKR candidate to contest for the seat, in the event of a contest.

Asked whether BN should stay out of the by-election, Dr Mahathir stressed that BN had never walked away from any election, hence it was the same this time around, as well.

"We should contest, BN has contested in all elections," he noted.