Ten minutes before nominations for MCA party elections closed at 5pm, party president Dr Ling Liong Sik had an unexpected challenger to his post.

The challenger, Lim Lik Kai, 54, is a director of MCA-linked investment fund Kooperasi Serbaguna Malaysia and a delegate from Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Bintang division.

However, Lim told reporters that his act of challenging Ling was merely a sign of protest.

"They did not even want to give out nomination forms to challengers so I had to photocopy it. This is so unfair," he said.

Several other delegates from the same division also filed their nomination papers for other party posts at the party headquarters this afternoon — one for vice-president and two for central committee members.

No one filed nomination papers to contest against Ling's rival and deputy president Lim Ah Lek.

However, at a press conference at the end of nomination period, party secretary-general Dr Ting Chew Peh announced that the nomination papers of all challengers were null and void.

Following that, the party's 40-member central committee met for an hour and endorsed the decision.

'Shaking hands again'

Ling told another press conference later that "the problem had been handled" when commenting on the challengers who defied the party's adoption of the peace plan put forward by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad which called for the status quo for all party posts.

The party chief said the peace plan had helped "cool down temperatures and promote greater understanding among members in the country".

"As I moved around, members are getting together in a much friendlier manner. Friends who have not smiled at each other started shaking hands again," he added.

Mahathir had in April proposed the plan to end the year-long bickering between the feuding factions, Team A led by party chief Ling and Team B his deputy Ah Lek.

It was decided subsequently that MCA will carry on with its election but contest was prohibited.

This means incumbents would stay in their posts for another three-year term and in the event anyone chooses to step down, the vacancy will be filled up by a candidate agreed upon by both Team A and Team B.

However, the no-contest ruling has been strenuously opposed by the embattled party members from both Team A and B.

At MCA divisional meetings last month, some delegates had burnt copies of their party constitution as a sign of protest while some divisions went ahead with balloting to oust their incumbent leaders.

One division even pelted eggs at its leaders.

Last-minute negotiation

The nomination started at 1pm today at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and received forms from present central leaders of MCA as well as office bearers in its Youth and Wanita wings.

The lists of nomination for party and Wanita leadership were put up at 1.15pm and 2.25pm respectively as there was no change in their line-ups.

However, the Youth wing filed its nominations only at 4.30pm as both sides could not agree over candidates for several vacant posts, particularly that of the vice-chairperson.

Youth leaders aligned to Team A and Team B were conducting last-minute negotiation in their office.

The vice-chairperson's post was vacated after its incumbent Loh Seng Kok, political secretary to MCA chief Ling, sought to become the Youth secretary-general, a post which was held by Yeow Teong Look who is close to Team A.

Yeow, together with six other Youth central committee members had to step down as he had passed the 45-year age limit.

But Youth deputy secretary-general Liow Tiong Lai, former press secretary to party deputy president and Team B leader Ah Lek, also wanted to become the new secretary-general.

'Joint secretary-general'

It was eventually agreed that a 'joint secretary-general' would be created and that the post would be held by both Loh and Liow.

In return, Loh's post was given to Team A's Han Chin Pheng, a former Youth central committee member who was sacked last year for allegedly being involved in the fracas at the Youth annual general assembly last year which saw delegates exchanging fists and throwing chairs at each other.

At least six Youth central committee member posts were still vacant when nomination ended this afternoon.

But Ting said the Youth will go on with its annual general assembly on Thursday first and continue with its negotiation to fill up the vacancies later.

He conceded that the 'joint secretary-general' post in Youth was unprecedented but added that such "extraordinary solution was necessary for extraordinary circumstances".

The party AGM is set for July 27 after it was postponed from June 29. While like their Youth counterparts, the Wanita wing will have their assembly on Thursday.