'Dinner War' before MCA judgment day

There will be four dinners tonight organised by two rival groups for the 2,377 central delegates who are in the capital to cast their vote in tomorrow MCA extraordinary general meeting (EGM).

Earlier MCA central committee led by president Ong Tee Keat (left) had announced they will hold the 200-table dinner in Wisma MCA.

Then the suspended deputy president Chua Soi Lek's camp decided last night to hold another three dinners in three separate hotels where the central delegates stay to 'block' them from attending Ong's dinner.

MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok confirmed that the three dinners will be held at Dynasty Hotel, Federal Hotel and Corus Hotel.

The latter is situated just opposite Wisma MCA, where Ong's dinner is to be held. Loh said their dinners can cater to 1,200 delegates in total.

Chua's last speech

He explained that initially they planned to hold a mega dinner in a stadium but later changed to the current plan for the delegates' convenience.

"They told us they don't want to beat the jam to attend dinner. So we hold the dinner in the hotel where they stay," he told Malaysiakini when contacted last night.

Malaysiakini learned that Chua's camp also considered the factor that Chua (right)could not attend Ong's dinner as well as the EGM next morning to meet delegates as his membership had been suspended.

Thus he will take turns to attend the three dinners to deliver his last speech before his fate is decided by the delegates.

Another advantage of the 'three dinners' strategy is to embarrass the incumbent faction by reducing the attendance at Ong's dinner.

Many of the delegates will choose to attend the dinner held in their hotel instead of wasting their time in the Friday night traffic jam to attend Ong's at party headquarters.

However, a MCA leader told Malaysiakini that attendance in the dinners cannot be view as the support received by both camps.

"Many delegates had made up their minds before coming to Kuala Lumpur. They will not be so easily influenced just by a dinner," he said.

UPDATE: Both dinners tonight were attending by approximately equal number of people - Chua's supporters filled 120 tables (or 1,200 people) while Ong's supporters similarly claimed to have about the same numbers. There are about 2,400 central delegates in MCA.