The MCA central committee's suspension of the Youth leadership today saw tensions mount for next year's party election as Team B leaders said they could no longer rally around their president Dr Ling Liong Sik.

According to party vice-president Chua Jui Meng, Team B will instead rally around Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"Ling is the cause of disunity within the party," Chua told a press conference after the three-hour central committee meeting which started at 5pm at the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Chua urged all party members and community groups to be present at the Chinese winter solstice celebration at the Bukit Jalil stadium in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow where Mahathir is expected.

"Let's show the PM that we are behind Barisan Nasional and that MCA is still a viable force despite the maneuvering over the past year," said Chua who is also health minister.

However, he denied that Team B had sought the premier's support when Youth chief Ong Tee Keat (photo) met Mahathir in Kedah last week.

"But we will keep him (Mahathir) informed of the latest developments in the party and assure him that we will act rationally and do what is right," he said.

In today's meeting, 31 members of the committee voted for the suspension of the Youth central committee and the wing's general assembly represented by 1,514 delegates. The eight Team B leaders voted against while one committee member was absent.

'Travesty of justice'

Describing the decision as a "travesty of justice", Chua said it was tantamount to punishing all duly elected leaders and the 1,514 delegates of the Youth.

He added the meeting was "most dishonourable" and its decision was meant to stop the Youth delegates from calling for an extraordinary general meeting to resolve the internal crisis within the wing.

Asked about their next move, Chua said: "We will act decisively. We will go around to explain to our members and the Chinese community on what has happened."

"The roadshow starts tonight," he declared, referring to a dinner later held by Team B leaders for their supporters at a restaurant near the party headquarters.

Party deputy president Lim Ah Lek said he was disappointed with the suspension which curtails the Youth's functions.

"To make things worse, the party central committee appointed a three-member committee to take over the elected Youth leaders," he lamented.

Recruitment exercise questioned

Meanwhile, party vice-president Chan Kong Choy questioned the recruitment of some 140,000 new members in the last six months.

He said the recruitment was approved by the party central committee despite a lack of details on the branches involved in signing up those new members.

"This was unprecedented. 15 percent of the total MCA members were recruited within half a year," he said.

Latest figures show that MCA, the second largest party within the ruling coalition, now has 1.04 million members.

Chan said he had repeatedly asked for details on the branches which signed up the new members but his requests were ignored by the central committee.

He added he had received complaints from branches in other states that their membership applications submitted early this year have yet to be approved.

"This is very, very unfair. It must be made known to our members all over the country," he said.

Cheering supporters

Also present at the press conference, were other Team B leaders - Youth chief Ong, Wanita deputy chief Tan Yee Kew, central committee members Fu Ah Kiow, Dr Tang See Hang and Wong Mook Leong.

The eight were later greeted by some 200 cheering supporters. Ong, Lim and Chua were chaired by the supporters who had been waiting outside the party headquarters since this afternoon.

Earlier today, Team B leaders arrived at the party headquarters amid a rousing welcome from a crowd of about 100 people, mostly Youth members.

The eight were greeted with shouts of, 'We support the Youth chief'. The supporters also carried a banner which read, 'Return the Youth its dignity'.

Political observers noted that the recent bickering within MCA indicated a likely vigorous contest at the party elections scheduled to be held before next August.

Chua is believed to have cast his eyes on the party presidency.