Expelled MCA leader Dr Chua Soi Lek today claimed that his supporters had obtained at least 800 signatures from party delegates - enough to demand the party to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).

To call for an EGM, Chua needs the backing from one-third of about 2,400 delegates, which work out to 800.

“By the time I am writing this, the signatures collected have already exceeded the 800 signatures required. I must say that the response is overwhelming,” he said in a blog posting.

chua soi lek pc 190509 01 Chua, who went for a short vacation in Bangkok immediately after he was sacked from the party last Thursday, said that the ground was “unhappy with the leadership’s decision”.

“They see this as a ruthless method to finish me off once and for all politically. That is the general consensus.”

Chua has offered to incorporate MCA president Ong Tee Keat’s resolution into the resolution to be debated at the EGM pushed by his supporters.

“Since we started the idea of the EGM first, it would be a better idea if the president could incorporate his resolution into our resolution,” he said.

Chua proceeded to criticise Ong’s move to call for his own EGM.

“This is the first time in 60 years of MCA history where a president exercises his power to call for an EGM.”

Under the party constitution, an EGM can be called in three ways - requisition by one third of the delegates, directive from the party president, or requisition by one-third of the party's central committee members.

Ong has on Monday launched a pre-emptive strike against Chua in the bid to quell a party rebellion.

Ong to seek backing for PKFZ fight

While the resolution to be debated at Ong’s EGM has yet to be made public, it is speculated that the embattled MCA boss could be seeking to bolster his position by incorporating in the resolution his crusade to unearth the wrongdoings in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

ong tee keat meeting penang 300809 01 By seeking a vote of confidence on his role as transport minister in the ongoing probe in the multi-billion ringgit scandal, Ong will leave MCA delegates little alternative but to back him.

Chua ticked off his nemesis for attempting to confuse party matters with his ministerial responsibility.

“If the agenda is to endorse the investigation of the PKFZ, then this will be unprecedented. This is the case where the minister brings his ministerial work and function to the political party for endorsement.”

According to Chua, politicians should not hide under their political party in their discharge of ministerial duty.

“It is the duty of the transport minister ... to investigate the port and the abuse of power and corruption if there is any.”

He said that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the cabinet had already endorsed the Transport Ministry’s investigation into PKFZ.

“Thus the notion that only the president dares to conduct an investigation of the PKFZ and that no one in BN is supporting him is misleading.

“It is not a personal crusade. It is the responsibility of the transport minister. It is not a party affair, and definitely should not be a MCA EGM’s resolution.”