Rumours of MCA deputy president Lim Ah Lek putting pressure on party's chief Dr Ling Liong Sik to resign are created to force Lim to quit before the party's election, a political commentator claimed.

There has definitely been an uproar against Lim in the newspapers recently.

A Nanyang Siang Pau report yesterday said 300 leaders from MCA Johor, after meeting with Ling on Sunday, criticised Lim for purportedly imposing conditions for his (Lim's) resignation.

Lim has reportedly wanted the MCA chief to resign as well. The Nanyang report added that Lim should not ask others to quit with him.

In another Nanyang report, MCA Perak asked Lim not to force Ling to fix a date for resignation and should not appoint any leader for the deputy chief, as Lim's resignation package seriously violated the democratic way of MCA.

However, The Sun today featured a clarification from Lim to national news agency Bernama that it is not true he had demanded Ling to fix a date to step down.

"I never ask the president to resign as reported in the newspapers. There is no such thing. It is neither my culture nor that of MCA to set conditions," Lim said.

A source, who requested anonymity, said that it was Ling who had initiated the idea of the succession 'package deal' in the party's leadership in 1996 after MCA's thumping victory in the 1995 general election.

The deal is for both Ling and Lim to retire in the 2002 party assembly and let their respective proteges, Ong Ka Ting and Chan Kong Choy, be 'promoted' in their place as the top two.

The issue of succession in the party is said to have been brought up last week at a meeting between the two MCA leaders.

Sin Chew Jit Poh today noted that it was the first time the party chief confirmed that there were talks on a succession formula, though he said the details of the discussion are not to be made public.

The Malaysiakini source added that Ling did not expect Lim to stay on after the last general election in 1999 as it was understood that Lim had wanted to withdraw from politics since then.

"But why has Lim not resign yet? Simply because Lim does not trust Ling to do the same," said the MCA observer.

"They (the Ling faction) want to kick out Lim first, so that it will be much easier to tackle Chan on his own."

He added that Ling's faction also wants to oust another potential rival, vice-president Chua Jui Meng.

Clarify

Meanwhile, a former MCA vice-president said that any discussion on the succession is far too early as none of the leader has resigned yet and hence there is no vacancy to fill.

Yap Pian Hon, now an MCA member of parliament for Serdang, told malaysiakini , "The news (of talks of succession) came as a surprise. Why not wait until next year (for the party election)?"

He stressed that everyone should adhere to the party's constitution on the party posts, no one can appoint any post for anyone.

Yap urged the party's leaders to put a stop to the rumours, which he said are spread by politically motivated MCA leaders to split the party, and make a clear clarification on the issue.

"Ling should refute the rumours, as the suspicion is unhealthy to the party," said Yap, claiming that an MCA faction with a political agenda of its own is using the newspapers to spread them.