Former MCA deputy president Lee Kim Sai said he would reluctantly lead an independent committee to verify the controversial party membership list should the delegates request for his service, according to a report today.

He confirmed that Team B had approached him regarding their proposal to nominate him as the chairperson of the committee.

However, he stressed that he remained neutral in the ongoing split within the party and will not side with any of the factions.

He also refused to comment on the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) which is being sought by Team B leaders, saying that he will leave it to the 2,400-odd central delegates of the party.

But if the delegates agree to the proposal (of setting up an independent verification committee) at the EGM, I would then head it though I am reluctant to get into it, he was quoted as saying in Nanyang Siang Pau.

When asked, he said he was named to be the committee chairperson probably because he had gone through a lot of things including the power struggle within MCA.

Membership controversy

Lee had been the party No 2 from 1986  when Dr Ling Liong Sik became MCA president  until he had a fall out with the party boss, and was succeeded by Lim Ah Lek in 1996.

Yesterday, malaysiakini reported that MCA Team B had collected enough signatures from central delegates and will proceed with the requisition for an EGM to solve the controversy over the party membership list.

The requisition was initiated by MCA Youth deputy secretary-general Liow Tiong Lai, party central committee member Tang See Hang, and Perak state assemblyman Lee Chee Leong.

The proposed EGM is aimed at calling for a verification of the membership list by an independent committee comprising members from both Team A and Team B.

The proposal suggests that the committee be headed by former MCA deputy chief Lee with four members each from Team A and Team B.

They are party vice-presidents Chan Kong Choy, Dr Fong Chan Onn; Wanita chief Dr Ng Yen Yen and her deputy Dr Tan Yee Kew; Youth chairperson Ong Tee Keat and his deputy Hoo Seong Chang; central committee member Lim Si Cheng; and former vice-president Yap Pian Hon.

Team B staging a coup

Meanwhile, several Team A leaders were quoted as criticising Team B for trying to deter party elections from going on schedule by requisitioning for an EGM.

Central committee member Chor Chee Heung said Team B leaders were staging a coup to assume the power of the central committee.

He questioned the timing of the event and said an EGM at this juncture will only create more chaos within the party and worsen the split.

Victory and defeat are common in a battle, it is important for us to leave it to over one million members of ours to exercise their democratic rights and end the squabble once and for all, he was reported as saying by Sin Chew Jit Poh.

Vice-president Dr Fong Chan Onn said the requisition for an EGM was a disrespect to the 3,665 MCA branches across the country, of which most had concluded their elections on Sunday.

They are trying to deny the members of their rights to attend meetings at division, state and central level. It is unreasonable to do that, he said in another Sin Chew report.

In recent weeks, both Team A and Team B had had separate meetings with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi regarding the list.

Mahathir last Friday was quoted as saying that the internal affairs of political parties are subject to the jurisdiction of the parties themselves but not to be judged by court or the government

The last MCA EGM was held last year on June 24 to vote on the partys acquisition of Nanyang Press Holdings, publisher of two Chinese newspapers. Fifty-three percent of the delegates present had voted for the deal while another 47 percent was against it.