MCA's much-anticipated annual general assembly (AGM) is likely to be held at end of June and will see thousands of delegates electing party officials, most notably the president, for the next three years.

Party secretary-general Dr Ting Chew Peh said today the party's 11-member elections steering committee, which he heads, will submit proposed dates for party elections at all levels to the central committee for discussion on Feb 9.

"If approved, branch level elections will start at the end of March, followed by divisional and state elections and finally the AGM at end of June," he told reporters after chairing the committee's first meeting at the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.

Ting declined to reveal the actual dates of the elections saying that the dates are subject to change pending "rectification by the central committee".

He said the party's headquarters is now finalising the list of MCA members as of Dec 31 last year and once completed, the list will be released to all the 167 divisions and some 4,000 branches by mid-February.

He estimated that there will be over 1 million members in the updated list compared to some 900,000 a year ago.

As a result of the increase of members, he said, "We expect the number of delegates to rise to approximately 3,000 from the present 2,400."

Committee to oversee conduct

The elections steering committee will interpret the election rules and handle any complaints regarding the conduct of party elections, including the register of members, added Ting.

He revealed that supervisory committees would also be set up at state, division, and branch levels to monitor the elections and all complaints gathered will be directed to the elections steering committee.

Most of the committee's 10 other members are MCA state liaison chairpersons — Pahang chief Chan Kong Choy, Perak's Ong Ka Chuan, Penang's Dr Sak Cheng Lum, Wilayah Persekutuan's Tan Chai Ho, Terengganu's Lau Yin Pin and Sabah's Edward Khoo.

MCA Negeri Sembilan chief Wong See Wah was absent at today's meeting as he is overseas.

The other members comprise MCA legal bureau chief Leng Tang Chong, youth wing deputy chief Hoo Seong Chang, and Wanita wing secretary-general Chang Yok Ying.

Asked why Hoo was chosen to represent the party's youth wing instead of its chief Ong Tee Keat, Ting said it was the decision of the wing's three-member panel headed by party veteran Wang Choon Wing.

Youth wing suspended

MCA's central committee had instructed the panel to take over the administration of the youth wing on Dec 20 last year in response to the findings of an ad hoc committee on a fracas at the wing's meet on Aug 3.

The youth central committee has been suspended indefinitely until a new committee is formed at the upcoming party elections.

MCA holds its party elections every three years to select key officials, among them the president, deputy president, secretary-general, four vice-presidents, and 25 central committee members.

This year's contest for the presidential post is expected to be a keen straight-fight between party chief Dr Ling Liong Sik and a candidate from the Team B camp, which has been a staunch critic of Ling's leadership.

Though vice-president Chua Jui Meng was widely believed to have cast his eye on the party presidency, many in recent weeks have speculated that Lim Ah Lek will be the real candidate.

The two factions, known as Team A and Team B, were a result of an open split in the party last May following MCA's takeover of two Chinese newspapers.

Last Saturday, MCA Bentong's youth wing called on Lim to run for party presidency at the upcoming elections. However Lim said yesterday he has not yet decided on the matter.