It looks like the MCA annual general assembly tomorrow will be solely an Ong Tee Keat affair.

The leaders of the party’s two key factions - deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek and vice-president Liow Tiong Lai - have both told Malaysiakini that they will not be attending the meeting.

This leaves this Sunday’s AGM to be a meeting of delegates aligned to embattled party president Ong.

azlan The boycott by Chua and Liow came hot in the heels of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s decision to give the AGM a miss .

Last night, Najib's press aide Tengku Sharifuddin Tengku Ahmad confirmed that the prime minister will not officially launch the controversial AGM, which is to kick off on Sunday morning at the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

In a press statement today, Prime Minister's Office said the decision was made after taking into consideration the views of various quarters in BN.

"MCA should be given the opportunities to resolve its internal problem," it said.

"It is hoped that the party will be able to resolve the issue and enable MCA eadership to obtain a fresh mandate from party members," it said.

Najib's decision is the clearest indication yet that party chief Ong has lost the support of the Umno president.

Wee will not be going

According to Chua, the AGM was “not valid”. He said urged party leaders to refer to articles 33 and 41 of the MCA constitution.

"Article 33 clearly states that the MCA AGM has to comprise CC members. Of the total 31 members, only nine are left as the others had resigned. This make them a minority," he said.

Liow had yesterday said he would boycott the one-day AGM.

He told journalists at a MCA Youth dinner last night that the remaining central committee members must respect article 41 of the party constitution on the pressing need to hold fresh leadership polls.

He also urged all sides to respect the decision made by the Youth and Wanita wings to postpone their respective AGMs today, which is traditionally held the day before the parent body's annual meeting.

Liow said following the resignation of two-thirds of the party's CC members on Thursday, the committee was deemed dissolved and that the caretaker CC was not supposed to make policy decisions.

The executive council of both wings held emergency meetings yesterday to put off their AGMs, but the caretaker central committee - minus the 21 elected members who had resigned two days ago - resolved to proceed with the parent body’s AGM and ordered both wings to do the same.

The Chua and Liow factions want the AGM to be held in conjunction with party elections later this month.

Youth chief Wee Ka Siong said today that he would also not be attending tomorrow's AGM as the meeting is invalid according to Article 33.2 of the party constitution.

"How can there be a meeting when the incumbent CC members are  missing? Who will be replying to points raised by delegates?

"Now that two third of CC members had resigned, elections will have to be held in 30 days as stipulated by Article 41," Wee added.

VP Ng Yen Yen quits too  

NONE Meanwhile, MCA vice-president Ng Yen Yen ( right ) has tendered her resignation today.

The tourism minister said she will be seek re-election for the vice-president's post at the party polls.

Her decision came two days after the en bloc resignations of 21 central committee members from Chua and Liow factions.

However, political observers considered Ng not aligned to any of the warring factions.

"I have sent my resignation letter and may not attend the AGM tomorrow," said Ng, who has just returned from overseas.

The party will hold fresh leadership polls on March 28, with nomination day on March 22.