Liow respects CC wish to call EGM

2009/11/07

KUALA LUMPUR, Sat: MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he respected the wish of the party's central committee (CC) members to call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Nov 28.

"Now an EGM has been called, let the delegates decide," Liow, who is also the Health Minister, said after officiating the 2009 Malaysian Institute of Art Convocation, here today.

Yesterday, MCA secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng conceded that a group of 16 central committee (CC) members had acted within the party constitution to issue a notice for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Nov 28 following his refusal to do so.

Wong had then stood by the MCA legal bureau's advice that the resolutions sought by the group were unconstitutional.

Among the 16 CC members asking for the EGM are vice-president Tan Kok Hon, Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong and Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.

When asked if he would take legal action against the Registrar of Societies' (ROS) decision to reinstate Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as the MCA deputy president, Liow said he would not drag the matter to court.

"No, I am not taking this matter to court. I will write to the ROS to seek clarification because it is important that we let the ROS know the party process and the party constitution. We do not want the ROS to make the wrong decision," he said.

On the Greater Unity Plan (GUP), Liow said in order for the GUP to succeed, trustworthiness and sincerity were needed.

"When we talk about the unity plan, there must be the basic thing, the trustworthiness must be there, if there is no sincerity or trustworthiness in the party it is difficult for the party to forge ahead," he said.

Meanwhile in KUANTAN, Pahang MCA Liaison chairman Datuk Hoh Khai Mun said the state MCA supported the convening of the EGM on Nov 28 to enable a fresh party election to be held.

He said the decision was taken at a discussion today involving all the division heads, MCA Youth heads and MCA Wanita heads in Pahang.

He said that out of the 14 MCA divisions in Pahang, only the Kuantan division head, Datuk Ti Lian Ker, who is also a member of the Central Committee (CC), did not give any decision as he was not present at the discussion.

Hoh also said that the Pahang MCA would hold a "one member, one ringgit" campaign to collect contributions from the 65,000 Pahang MCA members to hold the EGM which would cost RM800,000. -- BERNAMA