The two feuding MCA leaders - president Dr Ling Liong Sik and his deputy, Lim Ah Lek - have tendered their resignation yesterday, according to informed sources today.

Sources close to the Chinese-based party told malaysiakini that the duo have submitted their resignation letter to party secretary-general Dr Ting Chew Peh in accordance to the final phase of the peace plan brokered by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad last April.

Ting, when contacted this afternoon, refused to comment o­n the matter other than saying he had not "gone back to my office for a few days" and was not aware of such letters.

The second largest party of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has openly split into two factions - with Team A headed by Ling and Team B by Lim - since the controversial acquisition of two major Chinese newspapers two years ago.

Not informed

Sources said the two leaders have respectively submitted their "short and simple" o­ne-page letter to Ting yesterday.

It is unclear when the resignations will take effect but both are expected to quit together as agreed in the peace plan.

The party's central committee, which is due to meet this Friday, is empowered to accept the resignations and appoint an interim leadership until the next party elections in 2005.

A copy of the letter was also said to have been sent to peace-plan facilitator Lim Kok Wing.

Lim, who is closely linked to Mahathir, sits o­n the reconciliation committee set up last April headed by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to kick-start the troubled leadership succession plan.

Ling's political secretary Loh Seng Kok and press secretary o­ng Boon See, when contacted this afternoon, said they were not told about the MCA chief's plan to step down from his post this Friday.

Efforts to reach Ah Lek for comment this afternoon has been unsuccessful.

Strong hint

Meanwhile, a Bernama report quoted Perak state chief o­ng Ka Chuan as saying that Ling had hinted that he would probably resign in the next few days at a meeting with a delegation from Perak MCA this afternoon.

"He didn't say directly but strongly indicated that he is going to resign. We asked him to reconsider but Dr Ling said he had more or less made up his mind," o­ng said.

Ong added that Ling, who is also transport minister, did not say whether he was giving up both his ministerial post and the MCA presidency.

Ong is elder brother to party vice-president o­ng Ka Ting (photo), who is widely believed to assume the top post o­nce Ling steps down.

Speculations o­n the leadership changes in MCA began after Oriental Daily News reported o­n front-page last Thursday that Ling and Lim have been working quietly in recent weeks to resume negotiations to settle their differences.

They are said to have held several meetings o­n a formula to pave way for Ka Ting and pro-Team B vice-president Chan Kong Choy to assume leadership of the deeply fractured party.

The report said Ling and Lim had also separately met the prime minister last week.

The speculation intensified o­n Saturday after Ting (photo) gave a sudden notice for the party's central committee to meet o­n Friday, although he reportedly said there was "nothing special o­n the agenda".