Prominent Umno Youth leaders were conspicuously absent from the MCA Youth 42nd annual general meeting and election held in Kuala Lumpur today. Could this be a boycott?

According to outgoing MCA Youth chief Ong Tee Keat, this is not the case.

He also told reporters not to link the issue with the tension over Umno Youth's recent clarion call to revive the New Economic Policy to ensure greater economic prosperity for the Malays.

The call was made by Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein, who also brandished a keris (a traditional Malay weapon), to stress his point at the party's annual meet.

This had led certain quarters, especially the non-Malays, to express concern.

Meanwhile, Ong told a press conference that Hishammuddin, who is also education minister, could not make it for the meet as he is in Bangkok attending an Asean-level ministerial meeting.

It has always been a Barisan Nasional (BN) convention for the Umno Youth chief to attend the MCA counterpart's annual meet.

Others present

Quizzed on the no-show of other Umno Youth top leaders including its deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin, Ong said there were representatives from the wing's secretariat.

"...(However) other top Youth leaders from BN are present today," he added, referring to Gerakan Youth chief Mah Siew Keong, MIC Youth chief S Vigneswaran and leaders from the People's Progressive Party (PPP) and Sarawak United People's Party (Supp).

At the same press conference, Ong was asked whether MCA's controversial acquisition of two Chinese dailies in 2001 will be debated at the meeting today following the recent call by 16 groups on the party to give up the stake.

"The decision to take over Nanyang Press Holdings was made in an extraordinary general meeting, therefore the matter is only appropriate to be discussed by the parent body," he replied.

In his speech earlier, Ong said the party will ensure that the interest of the Chinese community will not be compromised in any government policies.

He stressed that the wing rejected any agenda implemented in haste and without the consensus of all races.

"In relation to Umno Youth's proposal to implement the New National Agenda, we suggest that a platform similar to the national economic consultative council be formed," he said.

Menu politics

After touching on the unity in the wing, Ong also stressed that it did not condone the culture of 'menu' politics (preferred candidates list).

MCA deputy president Chan Kong Choy, who officiated the event, also urged the delegates to reject menu politics and advised them against using the elections to vent frustrations and settle personal scores.

The annual meet registered a high attendance with 1,713 or 95.27 percent of the total 1,798 delegates attending.

The Youth chief post will see a straight fight between secretary-general Liong Tiong Lai and Kapar division head Song Kee Chai.

The deputy chief post is a four-cornered fight between secretary-general Loh Seng Kok, legal bureau head Simon Lim, Kuala Kangsar division chief Lim Hee Leong and Serdang division chief Liew Yuen Keong.

During the introduction of the contestants, Liow and Hee Leong received the loudest applause.

At press time, the balloting was underway with the results expected at 6.30pm.

Meanwhile, the AGM is also expected to adopt 10 resolutions covering party affairs, education, economics, agriculture and government affairs at the end of the event.

Among them, was the call to support the incumbent president Ong Ka Ting and deputy president Chan as well as to elect Tee Keat as vice-president.

Another resolution urged the government to implement the 125 recommendations by the Royal Police Commission as soon as possible.