Wednesday November 25, 2009
All agree on fresh polls for MCA, not the date
By NG SI HOOI and NG CHENG YEE
KUALA LUMPUR: All factions in MCA have agreed to a fresh election but the date remains a contention.
Describing the decision to have a fresh election as a “breakthrough”, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said this was the agreement reached during a meeting called by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin between him and vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai on Monday.
Party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is currently attending the International Maritime Organisation council in London.
Dr Chua said the polls should be held in March.
At present, the school holidays have just started which means the central delegates are busy with plans for the year’s end.
“They will also be busy when the new school term starts in January. Then, Chinese New Year is in February,” he said at a press conference after chairing a meeting on the new mechanism on direct party election at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
He said Liow’s camp wanted to have the election next month or in January.
“I understand that Ong may prefer to have the election between six and eight months from now. Maybe Ong thinks the new mechanism on party election will be more suitable,” he said.
Dr Chua stressed that a suitable date must be comfortable not only to the party leaders but also central delegates.
“We cannot have a party election when central delegates are busy with their own thing and the turnout (at the fresh election) will not be good.
“Other people may have other opinions (on the date of the fresh poll),” he said.
“It is up to us to sit down and thrash out the details,” he said.
Dr Chua urged Liow’s camp to cancel this Saturday’s extraordinary general meeting as a way of showing their commitment and support to the efforts by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy in solving the party’s internal problems.
“I have also suggested that the party posts remain status quo from now until a fresh poll,” he said.
To a question, Dr Chua said all MCA leaders would work with anybody to make sure peace, stability and unity within the party.
“We all have the same agenda. I do not think any MCA leader sitting here wants to destroy the party. I can work with Liow. I can work with anybody,” he said.
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