The MCA presidential council today requested the disciplinary committee to hear the case of the party's two Penang state assembly members who had abstained from voting during a recent legislature sitting.

Party president Dr Ling Liong Sik said the decision was in accordance with the MCA constitution which views "discipline as a serious matter that should be correctly handled by the disciplinary committee".

No deadline has been fixed for the committee to finish the case as it is "not polite to give our party elders one", he said after chairing a one-hour council meeting at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.

Nonetheless, Ling hoped the committee will treat it urgently so that their report and action recommended can be conveyed to the council "as soon as possible".

He added that the duo's membership would remain as status quo pending the investigation.

Final with central committee

Upon the committee's recommendations, the council will decide the fate of the two state assembly representatives, Lim Boo Chang (Datuk Keramat) and Tang Cheng Liang (Jawi).

"Anyone not satisfied with the council's decision can appeal within 14 days to the central committee. Its decision is then final and cannot be taken to court," he said.

No one from MCA Team B led by party deputy president Lim Ah Lek was present at the meeting.

Last month, the two MCA state assembly members had abstained from voting against a motion tabled by DAP to defer the RM1 billion Penang Outer Ring Road project (Porr).

Their abstention has since come under fire from leaders of BN component parties as they were said to have breached discipline in the ruling coalition. All BN state assembly members in Penang did not object to the project at an internal meeting prior to that of the assembly.

The Umno supreme council on Nov 29 proposed that MCA sack the duo from the party. Gerakan leaders, including president Dr Lim Keng Yaik and vice-president Dr Koh Tsu Koon, supported the suggestion.

Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he would leave the final decision to Ling on advice by the ruling coalition.

In response to that, Ling had said that "MCA is always willing to listen to views and advice from its friends in the Barisan Nasional. They have been patient and have given us very good advice".

'Fairest, quickest hearing'

Ling today said the presidential council believed that the disciplinary committee will give the duo the "fairest and quickest hearing" and take into consideration all the views expressed by BN leaders thus far.

"The five-member committee is made up of party elders who have a lot of experience. They were quite detached from the party affairs over the years and yet still have strong interests in maintaining the integrity and image of MCA," he said.

Meanwhile, when contacted, committee chairperson Kam Woon Wah said he did not know that the committee had been assigned to be in charge of the two state assembly members' case.

He said he will kickstart the hearing immediately after he receives the necessary documents and information from the party headquarters.

Asked if he felt the case was a burden to him because of the sensitivities involved, he replied, "Every case is a burden."