updated version

The crisis within MCA Youth heightened today when more than half of the wing's central committee members chose to proceed with a meeting in open defiance of Youth chief Ong Tee Keat who adjourned it earlier.

A total of 40 out of 45 Youth CC members, together with reinstated secretary-general Yew Teong Look and vice-chairperson Loh Seng Kok, attended today's meeting.

Loh, who came with his official reinstatement letter issued by party secretary-general Dr Ting Chew Peh, left the meeting shortly before it was postponed.

On his way out, he told reporters that he left "voluntarily" to ensure that the meeting could go on.

While Ong and his supporters questioned the reinstatement of both leaders, Yew's presence at the meeting was however accepted in his capacity as the Federal Territory Youth chief.

Disgruntled members

The 24 so-called 'Team A' CC members, who attended the 5pm meeting at the party's Serdang division office, were outraged when Ong announced the postponement two hours into the meeting.

As the disgruntled bunch - who formed the majority of the CC members - voiced their objections, the lights and air-conditioners at the venue were suddenly switched off and this sparked a minor commotion.

About 10 minutes later, the upset members decided to continue the meeting at the nearby Mint Hotel in Sungai Besi while, Ong and his supporters attended a dinner to celebrate MCA's 52nd anniversary in Serdang.

The dinner was officiated by deputy party president Lim Ah Lek.

Earlier, Ong told a press conference that the meeting was postponed because it could not resolve the issue of whether Loh should be present.

"According to procedure, a presidential council's decision has to be approved by the party's central committee before it is implemented, but the reinstatement of the two Youth leaders has not gone through that," said Ong.

Loh and reinstated secretary-general Yew Teong Look were sacked from the wing on Aug 3 after a rowdy annual meet which saw fistfights and chairs being thrown.

An investigating committee comprising six party veterans ruled yesterday that the sacking was invalid and the presidential council endorsed the decision leading to the duo's reinstatement.

'Undemocratic and oppressive'

At the Mint Hotel, the 24 Youth CC members passed four resolutions which, among others, adopted the veteran committee's findings in total and approved the setting up of new divisions and branches.

The resolutions also described the earlier meeting as "undemocratic and oppressive", and also censured Ong for his "wrongdoing".

Yew criticised Ong for striking out two suggestions over Loh's position at the meeting, namely a show of hands to decide on the matter and a proposal for Loh to stay at the meeting though his position was "yet to be verified".

"Ong was not telling the truth when citing unresolvable differences of opinion over Loh's position as the reason to adjourn the meeting, he added.

"If that was true, why did Ong still adjourn the meeting after Loh had left?" questioned Yew.

Yew's ally, Youth CC member Ch'ng Toh Eng said the second meeting was valid as it was a "continuation" from the original one in Serdang.

"A majority of us voted to stay and proceed with the meeting but we were not allowed," he said.

Ch'ng said a total of four new divisions and 192 branches were approved today but stressed that it was "very common as we have been doing that at the Youth CC meetings before this".

Ch'ng, who is MCA Selangor Youth chief was recently urged by 10 state Youth divisions to challenge Ong in the coming party elections.

Asked to comment on why Ong refused to continue with the meeting, Yew said he would not speculate but told reporters to look at the number of Youth CC members who opposed Ong.

"Our side has 24 CC members while Ong's has only 16," he said.

Phantom branches

It was said that Ong postponed the meeting today to stop the Youth CC, a majority of them aligned to Team A, from approving the new branches and divisions.

Under the party constitution, the branches can send delegates to the divisional meeting and this would translate into central delegates at the Youth annual general assembly where leaders are chosen every three years.

It is believed that these new branches and divisions mostly favoured Team A.

In August, a controversy over new branches erupted in MCA Petaling Jaya Utara division when several local leaders claimed that new phantom branches comprising fake members were set up without going through proper procedures.

Many noted that the controversy over setting up new branches and divisions was part of the bickering between different factions within MCA in the run-up to the party's elections next year.

MCA's acquisition of two Chinese dailies in late May divided party leaders and members into two camps, popularly referred to as 'Team A' which favoured the purchase and 'Team B' which opposed it.