After weeks of squabbling, rival MCA factions gladly posed for cameras at a press conference on Wednesday to announce the postponement of the party's Dec 5 annual general meeting.

The unexpected scene led to speculation that the minority faction led by Liow Tiong Lai, which is pressing for fresh polls in the soonest possible time, may be caving in.

Liow's faction wants fresh polls within 60-days of Nov 28 - the date where more than a thousand of Liow's supporters passed a special declaration endorsing the call.

NONEBut at the press conference which followed a central committee meeting on Wednesday, there was no reference to the 60-day deadline. Instead, it was announced that a special committee had been formed to study details for fresh polls.

Contacted yesterday, CC member Wong Nai Chee, who is aligned to Liow, said the 60-day time frame still applies, because a speedy resolution to the party crisis was necessary.

However, he conceded that this demand, nor the Nov 28 declaration, was brought before the CC because the special committee must look into certain matters first.

"We didn't insist (during the CC meeting) that polls must be held in January, nor did they raise (president Ong Tee Keat's) ‘greater unity plan'. Both sides knew how to conduct themselves accordingly," he said.

Details needed

Primarily, the special committee would determine if the Women's and Youth wings would require fresh elections.

Liow's faction, which includes both Women's and Youth wing heads Chew Mei Fun and Wee Ka Siong, has rejected suggestions that the two wings undergo fresh polls as the party crisis is limited to the central body.

NONEWong said the special committee will also have to define "fresh polls" and decide whether it would mean office bearers having a fresh term, or would newly-elected office bearers continue the term of the current batch, which ends in 2011.

Whether or not a "fresh polls" would automatically be considered a "new term" would have an impact on office bearers as the current term limit is three years.

"These issues need to be studied in detail first. Only then can we seek the resignation letters of two-thirds of the central committee," he said.

The party constitution stipulates that two-thirds of the elected central committee must agree to resign before fresh polls can be conducted.

Liow has thus far managed to secure 13 undated resignation letters and only needs seven more to fulfill the two-third requirement.

Won't be later than January

In any event, Wong said his faction is well represented in the special committee and would argue their positions to push for polls by January.

"The special committee includes Liow, Chew, Wee and (another vice-president) Tan Kok Hong. They will not agree to delays for fresh polls," he said.

Though the special committee has been given two weeks to complete its task, Wong was confident that fresh polls could still be held by January.

He explained that a 21-day notice needs to be given, plus a week for nominations, thus fresh polls can be held as early as mid-January.

The special committee will hold its first meeting on Monday morning at the MCA headquarters.

All eyes on Monday's MCA special committee meeting