KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — Negotiations for a date for fresh MCA polls will come under additional pressure after an announcement today that the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) scheduled for this Saturday is still on.
Wong Nai Chee, one of the requisitionists for the EGM, said the meeting will go ahead as there is too much uncertainty in the current negotiations for fresh polls.
“There are too many ‘ifs’,” he told reporters at a press conference today.
He was coy about whether the EGM could still be called off if a date for fresh polls is agreed upon before this Saturday, saying that until the date is settled, the EGM will proceed.
The EGM is backed by MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai who wants to have fresh party elections this year while his rivals, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, are pushing for it to be held in March next year or even later.
Wong denied that the EGM will be a waste of funds even though fresh polls had been agreed upon in principle.
He said that the EGM will be held at the MCA headquarters and accomodation will be provided for delegates.
Dr Chua is opposed to the EGM due to the alleged “defectiveness” of the allegations.
However, the announcement could put additional pressure on him to agree to a date with Liow.
It is not clear if the EGM this Saturday will be able to draw the required quorum of one third of the party’s 2,377 central delegates for it to be valid.
Liow and his allies, which include the MCA Youth and Women’s wing chiefs, Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, will probably be banking on dissatisfaction with Ong’s move to revamp the presidential council by dropping them.
By convention, the Youth and Women’s wing chiefs are appointed to the council and Ong’s move has been described as a “public relations disaster.”
Dr Chua told reporters earlier today that no agreement has been reached between him and Liow on a date for fresh elections.
He was also non-committal on whether the issue would be resolved by the December 1st deadline determined by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yasin.
He, however, expressed a view that in order to reassure the Liow faction, no party officials should be relieved of their position before an election, if a date can be agreed upon.
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