As expected, the MCA central committee today unanimously appointed vice-presidents O­ng Ka Ting and Chan Kong Choy as the new party leaders with immediate effect.

This decision was made after the committee failed to get Dr Ling Liong Sik and his nemesis-cum-deputy Lim Ah Lek to retract their resignations.

Another vice-president Fong Chan O­nn ( right ) told the press that despite their best efforts, the two sub-committees sent by the CC failed to convince the duo.

Earlier today, Ling and Lim told the CC of their intention to quit their posts. The two had sent their resignation letters to party secretary general Dr Ting Chew Peh last week.

Ling - who is also transport minister - has been at the helm for 17 years while Lim his deputy since 1996.

After deliberating the matter this afternoon, the CC had rejected their resignations and immediately tasked two teams to persuade the leaders before meeting again at 8pm.

"The two teams spent some time with Ling and Lim but despite our best efforts, we failed to persuade them," said Fong after the 30-minute meeting at the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"Thus we have to accept their decisions with a heavy heart," he added.

United MCA

Fong then revealed that O­ng - a protege of Ling - was picked as the new president while Chan - a staunch supporter of Lim - as his deputy.

He said the duo will hold the posts until the party election in 2005 and added that their vice-presidents posts will remain vacant until then.

Ong, 47, a former political secretary to Ling, is also the housing and local government minister while Chan, 48, is deputy finance minister.

At his first press conference as president, O­ng called for an end to the factional politics in the party.

MCA has been deeply divided since its controversial takeover of two Chinese dailies in 2001. The two factions - dubbed Team A led by Ling and Team B led by Lim - have been trying hard to adhere to a peace plan brokered by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad last April.

"I accept this appointment with mixed feelings. I am honoured by it and grateful to Dr Ling," said O­ng, adding that maintaining party unity would be his main task.

Meanwhile, Chan said he will do his duty to his "utmost best".

Missing leaders

The appointments of O­ng and Chan were expected with many political commentators saying that by keeping the party presidency, Team A would be in a powerful position to suggest to the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition who in MCA should get plum jobs as ministers, and local government, state and parliamentary representatives.

The CC meeting this evening was attended by 36 of the total 41 members. While Ling and Lim were excused, there were two other notable absentees - Team B aligned vice- president Chua Jui Meng ( left ) and Youth chief O­ng Tee Keat.

No reasons were given for their absence. Fong merely said they had apologised to the committee for not being able to attend.

Another team B supporter, Wong Mook Leong, was absent from both sessions.

Initially, certain quarters had speculated that O­ng would be sidelined due to an allegation that he had links with triad leaders.

Ong had denied this charge and lodged a police report o­n the matter.

In another development, the party secretary-general Ting refused to comment o­n rumours that he had also relinquished his position o­n Monday.