Supporters of former MCA deputy Chua Soi Lek have challenge the party’s central committee (CC) members to resign en mass to pave way for fresh polls rather than calling for another extraordinary general meeting (EGM).

The resignation of two-thirds of the 42-member central committee will immediately trigger new leadership elections.

In a statement released by MCA central committee members Tan Chai Ho, Chong Itt Chew and Loh Seng Kok - who had earlier successfully petitioned for the Oct 10 EGM - it would be cumbersome for the 2,380 party delegates to travel to Kuala Lumpur again for another EGM.

azlan Sixteen members of the powerful CC - all of whom aligned to newly-appointed deputy president Liow Tiong Lai - had yesterday collected enough signatures, which is one-third of the central committee - to call for an EGM to discuss a resolution calling for fresh party elections.

According to the party's constitution, the application for an EGM can be made via three ways - on the order of the party president, request by one-third of the CC or one-third of central delegates.

If the fresh polls resolution is passed by the EGM, MCA will have to organise a third EGM, this time to conduct leadership polls resulting in the party holding three EGMs in one year - a first in MCA’s history.

Chua’s camp lauded the 16 CC members for coming to their senses in agreeing to the growing calls for fresh polls rather than dividing the party posts among themselves.

Party secretary-general Wong Foon Meng said today arrangement to call for an EGM is underway after he received the requisition from the 16 CC members.

Once the preparation was finalised, he would announce the date of the EGM, he said in a short SMS reply to Bernama .

Meanwhile, the CC will be holding a meeting on Tuesday, where party boss Ong Tee Keat is expected to reveal more details on his ‘greater unity plan’ - a deal reached between the embattled president and his estranged former deputy Chua.

'Boycott Ong'

In a related development, the Pasir Gudang MCA division in Johor, which is aligned to Liow, has called for a boycott of party chief’s activities in the state.

Its head, Tan Cher Puk, who is also the state MCA treasurer, said that Ong, who is the Johor MCA chief, had betrayed the trust of the members.

He told a news conference after chairing the division's special meeting today that Ong should have resigned after last month's EGM which passed a motion of no confidence against him.

"We are asking him to keep his word that he would go even if he loses by one vote. If he fails to do so, from now on the Pasir Gudang MCA division will boycott all his events,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

The Pasir Gudang division has thrown its support behind the CC members who are asking for a fresh EGM, he said.