The DAP central executive committee (CEC) has directed the Selangor committee to convene a meeting on Thursday in the wake of a leadership crisis sparked by the removal of the state chairperson Ong Chee Keng on Jan 12.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told a press conference today that the agenda would be to verify the vote of no confidence passed on Ong and the election of Ean Yong Hian Wah, 28, as the new chairperson.

"After free and frank discussions, the CEC has decided to exercise its powers under Clause 11 (5) of the party constitution to call for a meeting," Lim said at DAP headquarters.

The meeting will be conducted by deputy secretary-general Ngeh Koo Ham, who is also the national legal bureau chairperson and Perak chairperson. The date was fixed with Ong's agreement to accommodate his prior commitments.

When pressed as to whether the emergency meeting on Jan 12 can be described as null and void, Lim did not answer the question.

Instead, he pointed out that the forthcoming meeting would provide a verification process with the aim of resolving the dispute.

Reasons for removal

The controversy arose after the Selangor committee unanimously removed Ong from his post through a vote of no confidence.

This was because Ong had made an unilateral decision to expand a five-man election preparations committee with another five individuals, without the committee's endorsement.

Ong's removal was also necessitated by the absence of leadership skills, loss of direction, confusion of facts, creating splits in the ranks, unilateral decisions, and misleading grassroots members.

Fourteen of its 20 members mooted the emergency meeting on Jan 10, but triggered rumours that Ong's removal was to make way for Lim to lead Selangor in the next general election due by April 2009.

A Jan 12 commentary in Chinese-language daily Nanyang Siang Pau claimed that Lim has been facing problems consolidating support in his home state of Malacca due to factionalism , and that he was scouting for a suitable place from which to contest.

This will be his first electoral outing since assuming the party's top post in 2004 and after he became eligible to return to politics after being convicted and jailed for breach of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

However, Lim denied any involvement, saying "allegations that this controversy was caused by me wanting to come to Selangor are to be described as completely false and baseless."

He said he has no intention of leading any of the party's state committees, including that in Selangor.

Ong ( photo ), who attended a meeting held by DAP National Central Committee yesterday, walked out before it ended because he was asked to explain himself and apologise for allegations he has made in the press.

He refused to do so and immediately told reporters that he will resign from all his party posts.

During the meeting, Ong still addressed himself as the DAP Selangor chairperson, claiming that the vote of no confidence had not been conducted according to procedure.