KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11- MCA will seek legal opinion on whether an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) suggested by deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai’s faction can be convened.
Party President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the party’s top leadership had to look into the request for the EGM to discuss, among others, the reversal of Johor state exco Datuk Tee Siew Kiong’s three-year suspension, as there were legal and technical issues involved.
Speaking to reporters after chairing the MCA presidential council meeting here on Tuesday, he said they included the timing of such an EGM, taking into account that party divisional elections scheduled for Sept 22, to elect new MCA central delegates.
On Monday, Liow and 13 other MCA central committee (CC) members called for an EGM within seven days, stating that the lifting of Tee’s suspension by the CC was against the party’s resolution made in 2011 and 2012.
According to the party’s constitution, an EGM can be held within 21 days after notification has been sent to the central delegates.
“If the secretary-general issues a notice for the EGM according to the present list, by the time they receive it and come for the meeting, the new central delegates will have been picked,” he argued.
According to Dr Chua, this was an “unanimous decision” which was also agreed to by Liow who attended today’s meeting but left before the news conference started.
“We will seek legal opinion inside (internal Legal Bureau) and outside the party to make sure that the decision made (on the EGM) is a correct one,” Dr Chua said, adding that no time frame had been set for this course of action. Tuesday’s presidential council meeting also agreed that legal advice was needed with regard to Tee’s suspension as well as that of another CC member, Datuk Liew Yuen Keong.
In another development, Dr Chua remained non-committal when asked about speculation that he would defend his post at the party polls on Dec 21, saying his visits to party grassroots had been interpreted by many as soliciting for support to defend his seat.
“I feel that whatever I do people will criticize. I’m quite a hardworking person who likes to go to meet the grassroots,” he said.
– BERNAMA
