Ling dismisses rumours of resignation for the third time

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MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik had, for the third time in a month, dismissed rumours that he would quit his party and ministerial posts, according to a news report.

In the report he was asked if he would follow the footsteps of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who had recently announced his resignation to be effective after a 16-month transitional period.

"I will let you (reporters) know once I have decided on when to retire," Ling was quoted in the Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau yesterday.

Ling who has been transport minister since 1986 said this during a press conference at his office in Putrajaya after the cabinet meeting yesterday.

He also said that Mahathir, who is now on holiday in Italy, will attend the MCA annual general assembly which was originally scheduled for June 29 but had been postponed to July 27.

Part of peace plan

In recent weeks, there has been widespread speculation that Ling would step down soon under the peace plan put forward by Mahathir to end the year-long bickering between the two MCA warring factions Team A led by Ling and Team B led by party deputy president Lim Ah Lek.

Last month, malaysiakini reported that both Ling and Lim had agreed to retire at least three months before the next general election to pave way for succession within the party.

However, Ling had dismissed this as "rumour" twice in the last week of last month. He had on one occasion called those responsible for spreading the rumour "pathological liars".

In May 2000, Ling shocked the public and his party with an announcement that he would step down from his ministerial post but remain as MCA president.

He had said then that he wanted to give the post to party vice-president Chan Kong Choy, a protege of his arch-rival Lim, in order to avoid a possible split within MCA.

Two weeks later, Ling retracted his resignation from the cabinet and said he would continue to serve as transport minister as requested by the party members.



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