Will tables be turned on Liow at MCA EGM?

The leadership crisis in Umno appears to be still simmering as its president continues to engineer strategies to retain his grip on power amid new revelations and old allegations that refuse to rest.

In MIC, the imbroglio has been somewhat resolved though the ousted G Palanivel still refers to himself as the legitimate president and attends functions on that note.

And now, it seems that MCA is marching towards a similar predicament which may witness the fireworks continuing long after the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The second largest BN component party is slated to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) this year to amend its constitution and expand its voting system.

But this could turn into a thorn for president, Liow Tiong Lai.

The EGM seeks to push for the plan to expand voting delegates from the current 2,375 central delegates to 40,000 division representatives.

However, MCA vice-president Chua Tee Yong (photo) together with central committee members Ei Kim Hock and Ooi Siew Kim, have launched a campaign that may hurt Liow's position.

Tee Yong is incidentally the son of former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, who himself rose to power through an EGM after resigning due to a sex scandal earlier.

In a letter circulated on social media among MCA leaders, this group has demanded that delegates be allowed to cast their ballots in secret on whether to amend the constitution.

They have also requested the party not to postpone the triennial MCA elections.

Liow and his team, however, prefer open voting on this matter, as in by the raising of hands.

A signature campaign has been organised by the opposition faction, which, according to sources, is opposed to expanding the voting system as it would allegedly allow those in power to manipulate it.

It is understood that an open voting on the proposed constitutional amendment would also decrease the risk of the resolution failing.

This is because those who do not to raise their hand would be considered as dissenting.

According to sources, the signature campaign has incurred Liow's wrath and the president described it as a move which goes against the leadership.

"By branding the campaign as such, Liow will rattle those who have a personal agenda and ambitions for certain posts," a source toldMalaysiakini.

In an interview with Oriental Daily, Liow also dubbed the campaign as "misleading" since it was started even before a date for the EGM was fixed.

Should Tee Yong and his team secure enough support, sources pointed out, this could be interpreted as a rejection of Liow.

There have also been reports that the faction would initiate a campaign to cast a no-confidence vote against Liow if the resolution on enlarging the voting system failed.

MCA's last EGM was on Feb 23, 2014, where delegates agreed to reverse a ruling that barred its members from being appointed to government positions, including the federal cabinet, in the event of a dismal electoral performance.

The Chinese-based party has been struggling to remain relevant since the 2008 general election, following the major swing in the community's votes for the opposition. -Mkini