400-odd members walkout from EGM but Liow says DIDN'T SEE, Wee says maybe WENT TO TOILET

The MCA extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today was marred by a walkout of several hundred delegates who had wanted today's agenda to be voted on by secret ballot.

A motion was put forward today to hold the voting by secret ballot instead of a show of hands. However, the motion did not garner the support required.

Among those who had chosen to walk out, former vice-president Gan Ping Sieu said the issue of whether MCA should rejoin the cabinet is contentious, and some delegates don't want to be seen as opposing the party's new leadership.

"Party comrades should be able to make their decision without their fear or favour (whether to rejoin the government) at this time," he said.

Reporters were not allowed to observe the voting process from the hall where it was held, but delegates can be seen leaving en masse as counting for the number of those in favour of rejoining the government, is still taking place.

Gan estimates those who had walked out, to number between 400 to 500.

The motion to hold a secret ballot instead of a show of hands was proposed by central delegate Yap Ah Seng, and seconded by Gan.

However, the motion was only supported by 409 (20.06 percent) of delegates, falling well short of the one-third required by the party constitution.

Wee: Maybe they went to the loo

When asked about the walkout, party president Liow Tiong Lai denied it and insisted that the EGM was conducted smoothly and in accordance to the party’s constitution.

"Definitely that is not true. There is no walkout amongst the delegates. It is very clear that they have exercised their rights, they have put to vote whether there should be secret voting or not, and the meeting has been conducted rather smoothly," he said.

His deputy Wee Ka Siong added that the members of the press had been misinformed.

"Of course, some of them may have left for the toilet. I don’t know.

"Don’t assume that 409 walked out of the meeting. You have received the wrong information," he said.

Meanwhile, MCA speaker Yik Phooi Hong also denied Gan’s claim that some 400 delegates had walked out, saying that "those making such allegations have something wrong in the head".

He explained that 400 delegates would constitute a quarter of the total attendance today, and their departure from the hall would be very obvious.

"For sure that there weren’t 400 to 500 people (walking out). If you asked me how many, I would have trouble answering you.

"If you say that 10 or 20 walked out, I dare not guarantee it didn’t happen. But 400 to 500, absolutely didn’t happen,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Legality in question

Earlier during the EGM’s proceedings, a delegate also objected to the EGM on basis that the notification of the meeting was improperly done and did not meet the requirements of the party constitution, and therefore illegal.

He claimed that the notification did not spell out the meeting’s agenda as required by the constitution, but instead had an itinerary of today’s proceedings.

In addition, he voiced dissatisfaction that there is no debate today, which he said is undemocratic.

However, Yik overruled his concerns, saying that the itinerary has already spelled out the agenda of today’s meeting.

He added that he is aware of such concerns, and have already discussed this with two of the party’s lawyers until 2.30am today and is satisfied that the meeting is lawful. - Mkini