In another twist to the ongoing MCA saga, newly-appointed deputy president Liow Tiong Lai's supporters in the central committee today abandoned their earlier passiveness and have called for another EGM to push for fresh party leadership polls.

azlan Liow’s faction had before this rejected president Ong Tee Keat’s suggestion for the same, only insisting that Ong resign and the vacancies left by Ong and former deputy president Chua Soi Lek be filled up by central committee appointees.

All this is now history. Two CC members aligned to Liow - Wong Nai Chee and Wee Jeck Seng - at an emergency press conference at the MCA headquarters today announced that they have successfully collected signatures from one-third of central committee members.

This allows the Liow camp to call for an EGM and propose a resolution calling for fresh party elections to elect a new leadership.

Wong said he has already submitted a letter of request for the EGM to the MCA’s headquarters. The letter was signed by 16 CC members. According to the party’s constitution, MCA secretary- general Wong Foon Meng has to issue an EGM notice within five days.

Going for another one-third

The two resolutions demanded by the Liow faction to be debated at the EGM are:

1. A motion to re-elect members for the entire MCA central committee. If approved, the central committee members have to be re-elected within 30 days.

NONE 2. A motion to declare null and void any changes in position made by the MCA president after Oct 10, 2009.

The 16 central committee members who signed the letter demanding for another EGM were Yeow Chai Thiam, Chor Chee Heung, Hou Kok Chung, Chai Kim Sen, Gan Hong Su, Lee Wei Kiat, Wong Nai Chee, Wee Ka Siong, Yu Chok Tow, Chew Mei Fun, Yoo Wei How, Wee Jeck Seng, Wong Siong Hwee, Liew Yuen Keong, Tan Kok Hong and Hoh Khai Mun.

The three coordinators for the EGM request are Liew Yuen Keong, Wong Nai Chee and Wee Jeck Seng.

Wong claimed that they will continue to collect signatures from CC members and if they managed to get a two-third, they could then dissolve the CC immediately and call for fresh polls automatically.

‘Avoid further disputes’

According to MCA’s constitution, an EGM can be ordered either by the party president or with a request by one third of the central committee members or central delegates.

According to Article 41 of the constitution, if more than two-thirds of the central committee members resign, then this automatically triggers party elections.

NONE Wong claimed that the party’s leader was now disregarding political accountability and to avoid further disputes within the party, they (Liow’s team) felt an urgent need for another EGM.

Asked why the CC members didn’t agree to an EGM during the Oct 15 meeting, Wong explained that Ong’s unity plan had changed everything in that it affected the party’s credibility and dignity.

“The only way to regain order in MCA is through a re-election of the central committee.”

Wong stated that Liow supported the move to have another EGM to solve the current party crisis and to regain the credibility of the party.

Pow wow expected at MCA Youth CC meeting tomorrow