The outcome of the March 13 extraordinary general meeting (EGM) cannot be intepreted as a vote of confidence for the current party leadership headed by MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek.

MCA secretary-general Kong Cho Ha said that the EGM was requisitioned by the delegates themselves and with the purpose of allowing the party to focus on the upcoming general election.

lim kit siang parliament pc 201008 kong cho ha He said the endorsement of 93 percent of the party’s 2,362 delegates should also not be viewed as an endorsement for the party leadership and Chua.

Kong ( right ) said this to Malaysiakini after an event where he received the petition to hold the EGM by requisitionists party deputy president Liow Tiong Lai and central committee member Lee Chee Leong.

At a press conference earlier, Kong said that the party headquarters will be issuing a notice to all party delegates to inform them of the EGM.

The MCA central committee had decided last year to defer party polls in view of possible snap general elections.

However, the party’s constitutions must be amended first because currently, it only allows the postponing of party polls 42 months after a general election.

'No personal agendas involved'

But the party’s branch and divisional polls are slated to begin next month, which is just 36-months from the March 2008 general elections.

A resolution - to shorten the period to 36 months and convene the deferred party polls within six months of the next general election – would be tabled at the EGM.

The EGM requires approval two-third of the delegates to pass the constitutional amendments.  

NONE Liow ( centre ) said the EGM is called for the party's benefits instead of personal agenda.

"Postponing the party polls is for us to face the general election. We need to put in all our human resources for the election preparation in order to achieve a favourable result," said Liow, who is also health minister.

"There is nothing more important than this. We cannot afford to split our resources."