MCA deputy president Lim Ah Lek today denied that he had pressured party president Dr Ling Liong Sik during succesion talks to resign next year as alleged by certain factions in the party.

"It was his (Ling's) decision to resign in 2002," Lim was quoted as saying on Sinchew-i.com website.

Since last year, the MCA has been rocked by a leadership squabble which saw the party members divided in their support.

Supporters of Ling, led by his protege and party vice-president Ong Ka Ting had accused Lim of pressuring the president to relinquish his post.

Matters took a turn for the worse when MCA deputy secretary-general Dr Sak Cheng Lum and party treasurer William Chek who mediated the succession talks between the leaders issued a joint statement recently, saying that Lim wanted the party president's resignation date in writing.

Lim said today he denied pressuring the president and that during the first succession talks, Ling had expressed his intention to resign and had told the former that he would not serve beyond 2002.

Misleading statement

Lim said the joint statement by the two mediators "did not reflect the truth" and had "misled the grassroots and the Chinese society".

According to Lim, the president had stated during the succession talks that he is satisfied with his accomplishments within the party and it is about time for him to step down.

"Ling said he has led MCA in winning two general-elections, served as MCA president for 15 years, and taken the Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College to greater heights," said the deputy president. .

Lim explained that he was only asking the president to put in the agreement the resignation date which was suggested by the latter himself.

He lambasted as "malicious" those who have accused him of pressuring Ling to resign adding they had a personal agenda.

Lim cited three reasons as to why he had suggested the agreement of the resignation date be put in writing.

"First, the objective of the black and white agreement is a pact between gentlemen, to avoid any dispute in future; Second, before deputy president Tan Sri Lee Kim Sai resigned, Ling also required him to sign a similar agreement; Third, I myself had put in my resignation date in the agreement," he said.

Meanwhile, Lim also denied he had demanded that present vice chairman Chan Kong Choy should take over his post upon his resignation as stated in the joint statement by the mediators.

"The fact is, it was Ling and not me, who proposed that Chan take over the deputy president post," he said, adding that Ling had personally told him about this on Jan 15.

Senior member

In the joint statement, the two mediators had further claimed that a senior party member had called one of them and suggested they sign a document to state that Ling will retire before 2002.

The statement said the senior party member suggested the document be signed without Ling's knowledge.

However, Lim denied he had anything to do with it, saying that the talks were restricted among the mediators, Ling and himself.

"I am experienced and capable enough to handle the talks, there is no need for me to appoint someone to handle it on my behalf, especially for talks which are confidential," he said.

"Therefore let me stress that the so called "senior member" had nothing to do with me," Lim said, adding that he was "utterly disappointed" with the two mediators whom he had trusted.

"Their misleading and confusing statement has hurt me. Hence I need to explain myself."

He said the two mediators discussed the closed-door talks with party members and leaders, without his consent and this was unfair.

"Despite Sak being a mediator, he had accompanied Ling to several briefings, which is very discouraging ," Lim said.

The Nanyang Siang Pau Chinese daily reported last Tuesday that Lim was disappointed with Sak for briefing some 80 central committee members of the party's Youth and Women wings at Ling's house in Damansara Heights.