KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Nov 2009: MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai fired back at Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today to “surrender” the deputy president post and support fresh elections in the party’s ongoing rift.
“The deputy president position belongs to the party, it does not belong to any individual … he cannot be giving it to me personally,” Liow told a press conference before meeting about 500 Johor party members at Wisma MCA to garner support for the MCA Integrity Restoring Task Force (MIRT) campaign.
Liow was responding to a statement by Chua yesterday that he would consider giving his post to Liow if Liow asked for it.
“What I want to say is that he should respect the 10 Oct EGM decision and surrender the deputy president post unconditionally and go for a fresh election,” Liow said.
Liow was referring to the 10 Oct 2009 extraordinary general meeting where party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat lost the vote of confidence, while Chua was reinstated as a member but not as deputy president following his suspension from the party.
Liow was then elected deputy president by the party’s central committee (CC), but the Registrar of Societies last week ruled that Chua was still the deputy president.
Asked whether he was trying to revive his position as deputy president, Liow refuted it and reiterated that his main objective was for the party to hold fresh elections.
On the group which met him today, he said they were party members from the Tanjung Piai and Pontian branches, who arrived in 10 buses and several cars.
Liow said preparations for the 28 Nov EGM, called by 16 CC members, were ongoing with funds being raised.
MCA Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong, who is among the 16, said Liow’s supporters had so far collected RM15,622. They needed RM48,000 to pay for the rental of Dewan San Choon at Wisma MCA for two days, Wee said.
“Many of the central delegates are worried about their accommodation to attend the EGM but we will give them a safe place to stay,” he added.
Also present at the press conference were CC members Wong Nai Chee, Datuk Wee Jeck Seng and Lee Wei Kiat. — Bernama
