Just three days before the scheduled MCA extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to review its resolution rejecting ministerial posts, a small group of party members staged a sit-in protest at the party headquarters to oppose the meeting fixed for Sunday.

Calling themselves ‘MCA grassroots conscience action committee’, the group of nine, who were outnumbered by the 20-strong group of journalists in attendance, gathered in front of the building at 11am before setting up chairs at the lobby for the sit-in protest.

They had also held up placards bearing phrases in Chinese saying “Secret balloting wanted” and “Defending the party’s integrity”, in order to urge the party leadership to postpone plans to accept cabinet posts.

One of the protest organisers, Tong Ka Yan, threatened to stay overnight at the building until the EGM on Feb 23.

Asked if the building was closed at night, she said: “We will stay outside the building, we don’t mind even if we are bitten by mosquitoes and suffer from dengue. This is for the party!”

Meanwhile MCA investment arm Huaren Resources Sdn Bhd issued a statement to cease such protests at the Jalan Ampang premises saying it inconveniences other tenants in the building.

"Huaren Resources would like to urge all quarters especially MCA members to be co-operative and stop holding any protest activities within the premises of Wisma MCA to avoid causing disturbance and dissatisfaction to our tenants.

"We urge MCA members who wish to hold activities at Wisma MCA to contact the MCA Headquarters so that a proper location can be arranged," said Huaran's senior property manager Hew Yit Hwa.

‘Rejoin cabinet after garnering support’

Early this month, MCA had received the backing of some 80 percent of the central delegates to call for the EGM to decide if the party should accept government posts at all three levels of local government, state and cabinet posts.

 

Party president Liow Tiong Lai said the EGM was necessary, judging from requests from the central delegates, businessmen and Chinese associations wanting the MCA in the government.

 

MCA suffered confusing political ramifications from the EGM held on Oct 20 last year, when the central delegates decided to accept positions at the state and local levels, but rejected minister and deputy minister posts, by a mere 10-vote difference.

The MCA grassroots conscience action committee members hold the position that it will be wrong for the party to rejoin cabinet before garnering increased support from the Chinese community.

This championed stand is similar to that of the party’s former president Dr Chua Soi Lek, who described the EGM as a “self-serving” move of his successor Liow Tiong Lai.

Asked if the sit-in protesters were Chua faction members, Tong vehemently denied this, saying that they had no “backstage” supporter.

Another protester, Yap Ah Seng, claimed that the party's central leaders had warned delegates not to attend this sit-in protest or action would be taken against them.

“I learnt that those who urged the protest would face disciplinary action,” he said.

Yap, who is also a central delegate, said he disagreed with the ‘show-of-hands’ method to decide on cabinet posts during the EGM as the delegates were under surveillance of CCTV cameras installed in the hall.

Hence, Yap urged the central delegates to demand the secret balloting method, under which the party constitution requires a more than two-thirds majority to pass a resolution.