It is expected that Dr Ling Liong Sik will still have to resign as transport minister after returning from two weeks' leave, said a source closely involved with MCA politics.

A Cabinet member cannot go public with an expression to resign and then later reverse his decision as this would make Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government look "school boyish".

When a leader runs a country, there is no room for behaviour befitting the operation of a "school or civic organisation", the source said.

He was commenting on the latest development in which Ling said he had Mahathir's agreement to go for a two-week break to mull over his expressed wish to resign as transport minister, a post he has held for 14 years.

The source added that after two weeks, Ling might even have to relinquish his party presidency on top of the minister's post. MCA will be having its annual general assembly in three weeks.

He said it is not likely that MCA deputy chief Lim Ah Lek would return to the Cabinet via a senator appointment but senior vice-president Chua Jui Meng could be moved from the health to the transport portfolio.

Meanwhile, Sin Chew Jit Poh senior writer James Wong Wing On told malaysiakini that the two-weeks' break is to allow all parties to "cool down".

He expected Lim Ah Lek to act as new party chief should Ling step down from the MCA presidency.

On the other hand, the resignation "reason" given by Ling to date that it was due to "party problems" could put Lim in an adverse situation within MCA.

If the "real story" relating to Ling's resignation is not told, Lim or his faction will find it difficult to seize power, he said.

He stated that Ling had created a situation that Lim and his supporters are the ones who caused him to leave, and it is up to Lim's faction to give its "version of the story".

"Under the circumstances, some may not want to be victimised and will be forced to come out with the true story (which differs from Ling's)," Wong said.

Wong stressed that the support shown by MCA members towards the president may put pressure on BN chairman Mahathir, but Umno has made it clear that MCA should remain docile.

He said that fugitive tycoon Soh Chee Wen's case might be one of the issues related to the resignation, but it is only a tool to restore Umno supremacy, which had declined in recent years.

He believed that Umno wants to show MCA that the Chinese voted for BN last November because they support Mahathir, and not MCA.

On the possibility of MCA senior minister Chua Jui Meng becoming president, he felt that it is totally impossible because Chua is only a technocrat, and does not have the grassroots support enjoyed by Lim and Ling.

Nanyang Siang Pau international news chief Choong Weng On said that after Ling resigned his minister post, he has no choice but to quit his president's post as well.

He expected Lim Ah Lek to replace Ling for a short period as he had already said he did not have any political ambitions to stay long.

"If Ong Ka Ting, preferred by Ling, takes over the post, the other vice presidents might not be happy because all of them are as senior as him in the party," he said.

However, he doubted that Chua Jui Meng can replace Ling as the support for Chua is not solid as the other three vice-presidents, Ong, Chan Kong Choy and Fong Chan Onn.