In an unexpected development, the MCA Wanita today amended at its annual general meeting (AGM) a controversial resolution on limiting the terms of party office bearers.

Instead of voting on the original resolution to limit the tenure of the party's president, Youth and Wanita chiefs to three consecutive terms, the meeting passed a motion urging the MCA general assembly to set up a special committee to review the constitution as a whole.

The resolution on the establishment of the special committee, if passed by the MCA's general assembly tomorrow, will effectively postpone the decision to impose term limits on key posts.

The resolution also urged the special committee to look at constitutional amendments which will guarantee at least 30 percent of all party and government posts be set aside for the party's women's wing.

However, the changes to the original resolution drew a howl of protests from a number of MCA delegates who felt that the 'last minute' amendment could set a 'dangerous precedent' for the party.

Lawyer Leong May Chan from the Federal Territory branch argued that a resolution should not be changed during the AGM since the steering committee which drafted the resolution has not approved it.

MCA members can propose resolutions to be debated during the party's annual general assembly. These proposed resolutions are vetted by the assembly's steering committee.

Those resolutions which are approved by the committee will then be put to the assembly's floor for debate.

"They cannot tell us that they want to amend the resolution now. This sets a dangerous precedent. It is taking away the rights of the grassroots," she said.

Wanita chief defends amendments

However, MCA Wanita chief Dr Ng Yen Yen defended the amendments to the original resolution.

"We did not change the substance of the original resolution," she argued, adding that the resolution was simply being 'expanded'.

According to Ng, the substance of the original resolution was 'to amend the party constitution' and therefore it was not wrong to make the changes.

"We're not changing (the resolution). We're expanding (it)," she contended.

She also questioned why those who opposed the amendments are fixed on limiting the terms of the three key posts mentioned in the original motion.

Ng explained that the additional words that were added into the original resolution are 'to reflect the wishes of the delegates'.

The amended motion, which was part of 17 resolutions debated today, was eventually put to vote on block, and a majority of 832 MCA Wanita delegates raised their hands in support of all the resolutions.

The other resolutions include urging the government to appoint a Wanita MCA member as deputy minister of the Women and Family Development Ministry, and to increase the student intake in public universities and to review the racial quota system to ensure admission of high achievers.