MCA EGM: 'No' to cabinet posts, resolution rejected for censure'

MCA delegates today rejected a resolution to overturn a previous party decision to bar members from accepting cabinet positions.

Of the 2,199 delegates present at the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today, 1,090 voted against the resolution while 1,080 voted for it. There were 18 spoilt votes.

This means that the resolution was defeated by a mere 10-vote majority and it was decided with only 49.4 percent of the votes cast.

Meanwhile, delegates also rejected a resolution to censure MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai for his alleged failures during the general election and his antics immediately after.

There were 965 votes in favour of censuring him and 1,190 votes against, while another 34 were spoilt votes.

This means that while Liow escaped censure, his attempts to steer the party towards accepting cabinet positions - thereby allowing him to re-join the federal cabinet since he is an MP - has been thwarted.

Another prominent leader to lose out on this is MCA Youth Chief Wee Ka Siong, who is seen to be close to Liow. He is the Ayer Itam MP and was the deputy education minister until the 13th general election.

However, the party also voted in favour of two other resolutions that will allow the party to accept other positions such as senatorships, GLC positions, state government positions and village head positions.

These two resolutions were comfortably passed with the backing of over three quarters of the ballots cast.

 Requisitioners say they were right

In a joint statement later, the EGM's requisitioners Edward Khoo, Tan Chin Meng, and Ei Kim Hock said the results proved that they were right in splitting the resolution to accept government positions into three separate resolutions.

This is because it shows that the delegates have reservations on accepting cabinet positions, while being still open to accept other positions, they said.

Meanwhile, party president Chua Soi Lek said he hopes the EGM will put an end to party leaders attacking each other over the media, which ends up tarnishing the party image.

"I urge all party leaders to close ranks ofter the EGM and there will be no mudslinging against each other," he said.