Kajang MCA okay with EGM date

FMT News, 12 February 2014

Leven Woon

The division chief says the meeting, to be held before the by-election, will not affect campaign work.

PETALING JAYA: A number of former MCA leaders are against the idea of holding an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) before the Kajang by-election, but the man who will command the troops for the March 23 battle finds it acceptable.

Kajang MCA chief Lee Ban Seng, who has been appointed to head the party’s operations for the by-election, said the EGM would not harm the campaign although he saw no reason for the hurry.

“The election preparations would not be affected because the biggest task lies with the Kajang and neighbouring divisions,” he said.

“The central leadership is only in charge of making strategies and giving instructions.

“I don’t know why the leadership insists on holding the EGM so soon. It’s too much of a hurry. But since they want to do it, just let it be. I don’t mind.”

MCA is facing off with parliamentary opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for the state seat.

Rumours are rife that Lee and party vice president Chew Mei Fun have been shortlisted to do the battle against Anwar.

In recent days, MCA has been distracted by efforts to mobilise central delegates to support the EGM, planned for the end of this month.

The meeting will debate on only one motion—whether to allow members to accept all government posts.

 

Lee told FMT he did not agree that the motion should refer to local, state and federal government posts at once, pointing out that the majority of delegates in the last EGM in October had voted in favour of MCA rejoining local and state governments.

“Since motions on these have been passed, there is no need to bring them up again,” he said.

EGM petition submitted

Meanwhile, Chia Song Cheng, one of the three who initiated the EGM move, told FMT that 1,919 central delegates had signed the petition for the EGM.

He said the petition was submitted to party secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan at noon today. Ong promised to raise the issue in the central committee meeting tomorrow, he added.

“Under the party’s constitution, the president can invoke his power to call the EGM within seven days or, at the latest, 21 days,” Chia said.

Former MCA president Chua Soi Lek and vice president Gan Ping Sieu have voiced objections to the EGM move, saying that it left the impression that MCA cared only for positions even when facing a crucial by-election.