Liow's life and death battle at EGM today

VIDEO | 2.16 mins

MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai will be fighting a life and death battle for his political career, as his boss Dr Chua Soi Lek seeks to thwart his ascent to president.

The extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today, requisitioned by Chua's faction, will vote on whether to censure Liow - a move aimed at discrediting the leader before the party polls in December.

The other three resolutions are:

(2) Revoke party resolution not to accept any cabinet position.

(3) The party will accept appointments as senators or other government-related positions (e.g. in government-linked companies).

(4) The party will accept state-level appointments such as exco, local council members, village heads.

A staggering 2,199 of the 2,385 eligible delegates turned up to vote today, or 92.2 percent. There will be no debate, and delegates will head to the ballot box as soon as formalities have concluded.

If Liow fails to fend off the censure vote, his credibility will be deeply eroded and his chances of succeeding Chua as president will be dim.

The MCA president had made it clear that he is out to axe Liow, calling him "weak" and "indecisive" and asking his number two to step down with him.

Chua had aggressively rallied his troops and gone all out to prove his point against Liow, but the latter's tame responses to date is doing nothing to inspire confidence among the delegates and so is unlikely to bode well for him at the EGM.

Negative perception

The last minute intervention by Registrar of Societies (ROS) asking that the resolution to censure Liow be dropped, will not help the deputy president.

Chua has refused to comply, stating it was merely advice.

He had accused Liow of seeking Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's  (left) intervention in fending off the censure attempt, a claim which Liow denies.

But the ROS' strange move is likely to lend credence to Chua's claims, and generate a negative perception towards Liow on whether his faction had asked for outside intervention or not.

Liow's announcement yesterday that in a last-minute campaign, he would personally knock on doors at hotels where delegates were putting up, also appeared desperate.

The deputy president had complained that Chua was denying him the delegates list, making it difficult for him to campaign.

This morning, he was seen going table-to-table outside Wisma MCA to meet delegates, occasionally prompting cheers.

"It not only ‘vote for me' but also for the party. We need to transform the party and not split the party. I think it time we all stand up and come forward to say the right thing, and righteousness must prevail.

"I am happy that the delegates sending positive signals," he told reporters today.

Meanwhile, Chua seemed to have roped in the party machinery to campaign fend off claims that he had mismanaged the party's assets.

"RM100 million increment of MCA asset [sic] in the last three years," read a flyer contained inside a bag given to all delegates and members of the press.

It details on how party assets have been restructured to increase revenue and tax savings, as well as MCA shares in The Star to 42.42 percent.

"Some irresponsible and unscrupulous party members had accused party leaders of selling The Star shares through spreading rumours like secret selling of The Star shares.

"Any sale of (The) Star chare requires two-thirds approval of the Central Committee, hence the accusation against party leaders on the selling of The Star share is unfounded and malicious," it said.

Malaysiakini understands that Chua's men too were courting delegates yesterday, providing them with a curious list on how to vote at the EGM.

The list called for delegates to approve all resolutions with the exception of resolution two that deals with cabinet positions, which comes as a surprise.

If resolution two is approved, Liow would be an obvious candidate to be reappointed as minister.

The move by Chua's faction appears to be aimed at delivering a double whammy to Liow - denying him a minister position and hurting his credibility with a censure.

Allegiances declared

The EGM itself has forced party leaders to declare their allegiances much earlier than intended.

MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong (right), for example, has declared that he will not go against Liow while MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu has emerged as the face of the 20 central committee members backing Chua's EGM.

Depending on whether Chua's or Liow's faction comes out victorious in the EGM, it may prompt a realignment of supporters ahead of the December polls.

The EGM's results will also be a litmus test of Chua's continued influence in the party.

Even if Chua keeps his word not to defend his position in the coming polls, the EGM results will determine whether he can leave the party in the hands of his handpicked leaders, which will include son Tee Yong.

Additional reporting by Koh Jun Lin.