All eyes on Jan 29 MCA meeting
Published: Jan 20, 2010 8:17 AM | Updated: Jan 20, 2010 8:18 AM
Expectations are high that the MCA central committee (CC) which meets on Jan 29, will decide whether to call for fresh party polls soon or wait until next year to resolve the leadership crisis through the proper party elections.
Expectations are high that the MCA central committee (CC) which meets on Jan 29, will decide whether to call for fresh party polls soon or wait until next year to resolve the leadership crisis through the proper party elections.
MCA secretary-general Wong Foon Ming has confirmed the meeting at the party's headquarters.
"The CC is going to deliberate on this issue after the special committee on re-election presents its report to the CC. Whether we are going to have fresh polls now or wait until next year will be known after the meeting," a party insider told Bernama today.
The six-member special committee is headed by party deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek.
MCA vice-president Liow Tiong Lai and 12 other CC members have been pushing for fresh party polls by submitting their undated letters of resignation last month to the party secretary-general.
However, they failed to get enough CC members to resign to make up for two-thirds or at least 21 resignations in order to allow for fresh polls to be held.
Under the party’s constitution, fresh polls must be held within 30 days if 21 out of the 31 elected CC members resign.
The failure of Liow's group to get enough resignations has hampered his effort to have fresh elections by January after the two-week deadline to submit the resignation letters ended on Christmas day last year.
However, this does not mean that fresh polls will not happen as pointed out by Dr Chua when he revealed that some CC members had confessed that they might want to resign after the Chinese New Year.
Dr Chua himself had said that the earliest the polls could be held is March and although he expressed his willingness to resign, to date he had not submitted any resignation letter.
He also said that if he wanted to resign, he would do so at his own time and not on the terms laid down by Liow. He dared Liow to hold an EGM if he (Liow) was confident that the party members would support a fresh election.
Early indications were that the CC members had different views on the matter, with some saying they were not in the mood to have fresh polls now and would rather wait for their term to expire next year.
"The Chinese New Year is coming, so don't quarrel. Let's celebrate the new year. Many party grassroots are not interested in having the polls soon, as the normal party elections are only a year away," said CC member Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho.
Another CC member Datuk Ti Lian Ker from Pahang, argued that even if party fresh polls were held now, those elected would only be serving for the remaining term before the party elections next year.
"By December this year, everyone will be busy renewing their party membership. By March next year, the election at the grassroot level will begin before that for the party leadership in October.
"Why should we waste time on fresh polls now when the normal party elections are just round the corner? Why should we give the impression that we have nothing better to do except fighting for positions in the party," he said.
- Bernama
MCA secretary-general Wong Foon Ming has confirmed the meeting at the party's headquarters.
"The CC is going to deliberate on this issue after the special committee on re-election presents its report to the CC. Whether we are going to have fresh polls now or wait until next year will be known after the meeting," a party insider told Bernama today.
The six-member special committee is headed by party deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek.
MCA vice-president Liow Tiong Lai and 12 other CC members have been pushing for fresh party polls by submitting their undated letters of resignation last month to the party secretary-general.
However, they failed to get enough CC members to resign to make up for two-thirds or at least 21 resignations in order to allow for fresh polls to be held.
Under the party’s constitution, fresh polls must be held within 30 days if 21 out of the 31 elected CC members resign.
The failure of Liow's group to get enough resignations has hampered his effort to have fresh elections by January after the two-week deadline to submit the resignation letters ended on Christmas day last year.
However, this does not mean that fresh polls will not happen as pointed out by Dr Chua when he revealed that some CC members had confessed that they might want to resign after the Chinese New Year.
Dr Chua himself had said that the earliest the polls could be held is March and although he expressed his willingness to resign, to date he had not submitted any resignation letter.
He also said that if he wanted to resign, he would do so at his own time and not on the terms laid down by Liow. He dared Liow to hold an EGM if he (Liow) was confident that the party members would support a fresh election.
Early indications were that the CC members had different views on the matter, with some saying they were not in the mood to have fresh polls now and would rather wait for their term to expire next year.
"The Chinese New Year is coming, so don't quarrel. Let's celebrate the new year. Many party grassroots are not interested in having the polls soon, as the normal party elections are only a year away," said CC member Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho.
Another CC member Datuk Ti Lian Ker from Pahang, argued that even if party fresh polls were held now, those elected would only be serving for the remaining term before the party elections next year.
"By December this year, everyone will be busy renewing their party membership. By March next year, the election at the grassroot level will begin before that for the party leadership in October.
"Why should we waste time on fresh polls now when the normal party elections are just round the corner? Why should we give the impression that we have nothing better to do except fighting for positions in the party," he said.
- Bernama
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