Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to facilitate the peace agenda within the strife-torn MCA at 9.30pm tonight as the feuding factions failed to reach a consensus during a marathon meeting this afternoon.

It was learnt that both sides were scheduled to meet the reconciliation committee headed by Abdullah at his office in Putrajaya but the deputy premier was not present.

The meeting, which began shortly after noon and went on till about 7pm, was chaired by another committee member, Chinese entrepreneur Lim Kok Wing.

Other members, tycoon Lee Kim Yew  a close associate of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad  and two close aides of the premier, were also present.

Party sources told malaysiakini that Team A MCA was represented by president Dr Ling Liong Sik, and two other vice-presidents Ong Ka Ting and Dr Fong Chan Onn.

Whereas team B was represented by its helmsman and deputy president Lim Ah Lek, who was accompanied by the partys remaining two vice-presidents, Chua Jui Meng and Chan Kong Choy.

It is believed that Team A had disagreed with the proposal to postpone the April 28 divisional elections pending a verification of the controversial list of some 140,000 new members.

Team B however insisted that it will not call off the extraordinary general meeting fixed for April 21 if its opponents do not agree to the proposal.

The disagreement, according to sources, led to a deadlock in todays peace talk which was outlined by Mahathir last week.

Sources added that Abdullah, who was in Penang earlier, had arrived at his office this evening and will meet both camps tonight to thrash out their differences.

Vital to conclude

Observers said it is vital to conclude the peace talk and make an announcement regarding the decision before the EGM called for by Team B is convened on Sunday.

Lim had threatened to make public the evidence of phantom members that his faction had gathered, a move which could prove to be detrimental to the partys reputation, they added.

However, Ling had said the party grassroots had demanded for the party elections to go as scheduled as they were confident about the cleanness and transparency of the membership list.

On Tuesday, the Prime Ministers Department imposed a blanket ban on the mainstream media from covering the MCA crisis.

This was done to ensure that the reconciliations talk between the feuding factions to proceed smoothly.

The partys internal crisis became public following MCAs controversial acquisition of two Chinese dailies last year.

The situation worsened as the party elections drew nearer, forcing Mahathir to intervene and call for a peaceful resolution.