Former MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu has slammed the MCA leadership for “putting the cart before the horse” by mooting for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to review last year’s party decision not to accept any post of minister or deputy minister.

It is “wrong  timing” for the MCA to call for the EGM ahead of the Kajang by-election, which the party will contest against PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, Gan said.

“I also hold on to this principle that we should re-enter cabinet, but not now, for the timing is all wrong, and not through the current method,” he told a press conference today.

Gan is of the opinion that MCA should prioritise the by-election and work out its reform agenda before calling the for EGM.

'EGM will cause another crisis of integrity'

Do these things first, he said, rather than make the review of the party’s decision not to join the cabinet the first thing for the new leadership, or “we will be seen that we are again hard up to hold government posts”.

The timing for the EGM could not be worse at this juncture because of the Kajang by-election, which is an MCA seat to contest, Gan said, adding that the EGM would cause another crisis of integrity and leadership upon the party.

Barely four months after the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in October last year, MCA plans to hold this EGM on Feb 23, in conjunction with the party’s 65th anniversary.

This time around, word is that the new party leadership wil offer delegates a “three-in-one package” by combining three different levels of government positions – federal, state and local government posts – in a single resolution to vote on.