Barisan Nasional chairperson Najib Abdul Razak heard out three key MCA leaders pushing for the Nov 28 extraordinary general meeting (EGM) yesterday.

This was confirmed by two participants, Youth chief Wee Ka Siong and Wanita chief Chew Mei Fun. Their delegation was led by vice-president Liow Tiong Lai.

NONE During the meeting, the trio expressed their rationale behind the need for fresh polls to restore public confidence in the party.

However, Najib did not come to a conclusion during the meet, Chew and Wee told Malaysiakini .

When contacted, Wee said Najib was very attentive when briefed about the group's position.

"There must be fresh polls as soon as possible, only then can there be peace in the party," said Wee.

He added that the group unanimously wanted the party to hold fresh polls as soon as possible, and only then would they call off the Nov 28 EGM.

Asked if the group would agree to fresh polls in six months, Wee said: "If it's six months, then we have nothing to talk about."

He did not provide a time frame for the party leadership, but stressed that fresh polls should be held "as soon as possible".

Ong also met with Najib

On Wednesday, Najib announced that he would intervene in the crisis faced by MCA, which is the second largest BN component party.

Currently, Liow's faction is seeking the national delegates' views on whether to hold fresh polls during the Nov 28 EGM as a means of resolving the ongoing party crisis.

The latest crisis was sparked off following the Oct 10 EGM, which saw president Ong Tee Keat losing a no-confidence vote, but refusing to step down as promised.

Ong's camp is trying to frustrate the EGM and avoid fresh polls, at least for the time being.

It is understood that the group comprising Ong, his deputy Dr Chua Soi Lek and secretary-general Wong Foon Meng also met with Najib that morning.

Chua: We want polls after March

Contacted this evening, Chua confirmed the meeting with Najib, adding that he had also spoken to deputy BN chairperson and deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin this morning on the phone.

NONE He said he expressed the need for fresh polls to resolve the party crisis, suggesting that it be held in March after the Christmas and Chinese New Year festivals.

"After the Oct 10 EGM, I was among the first to support fresh polls. I can't support the Nov 28 EGM because the resolutions are not constitutional," he said.

Chua argued that Liow's camp had proposed a resolution to force fresh polls, but the party constitution only allowed elections to be called if:

1. The term expires naturally

2. Two-thirds of central delegates demand fresh polls

3. Two-thirds of the central committee resigns

Given that two-thirds of the central committee have expressed support for Ong's 'greater unity plan', Chua argued that even if the resolution was passed, it cannot be implemented.

Chua said that while Najib listened to his group raptly, his main advice was for MCA to resolve its woes quickly.

Fresh polls next March

Elaborating on his suggestion for fresh polls in March, Chua said it has to be done with the current electoral system because proposed direct-elections system had yet to be worked out.

"If we want to have direct elections or to enlarge the pool of central delegates, we need to amend the party constitution. This process may take up to eight months. Even then, it might not be approved by the delegates," he said.

Currently, the party president, deputy president and central committee are elected by a pool of 2,400 central delegates which represents over one million party members.

Ong, a strong advocate of direct-elections for top office bearers, is believed to have expressed to Najib his wish to hold fresh polls after a new electoral system is put in place.