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(NST) KUALA LUMPUR: MCA's continuing saga took a new twist yesterday amid allegations of dubious signatures, triad links and about-turns.
These claims come barely 24 hours after sacked deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's supporters submitted 921 signed requisition forms to call for an extraordinary general meeting.
It is understood that party workers spent more than four hours at the MCA headquarters in Jalan Ampang here yesterday cross-checking and verifying the signatures against the party's database. At least 100 of the 921 signatures were believed to be dubious, a source said. Dr Chua needs about 800 or one-third of the central delegates' signatures to call for an EGM. There are 2,377 central delegates.
"Some of the signatures don't match. Some membership numbers in the requisition forms are different from the ones in the database," the source told the New Sunday Times.
The validity of Dr Chua's EGM is also being questioned, with allegations about resolutions being swapped after the central delegates had signed the requisition forms.
"Delegates are only required to sign the requisition forms, which are on a different page from the resolutions," the source said.
"In some cases, there were multiple staple marks on the documents. Legal experts say this isn't legal."
The party was also abuzz with several of Dr Chua's supporters pulling out because of rumours of coercion and links to Chinese gangs.
It was confirmed that three delegates from the Subang division recanted yesterday. Many more are expected to follow suit with 10 delegates from Penang to withdraw today.
"Once the fence-sitters see how Dr Chua is losing momentum, they will support the president," the source said.
The source said it was "almost always the case that the incumbent in any political party had the upper hand". "The president has the say in the nominations and appointments of party posts. Naturally, the support would lean towards him. "They took months to collect signatures and all they could come up with is a half-baked list with many dubious signatories.
"Now many want to withdraw. Some also claimed they had signed because of monetary offers."
Several pro-Dr Chua delegates are also said to be thinking about withdrawing because they were not happy with the number of signatures collected.
The number 921 is deemed unlucky for the party as the number 21 is said to have links with the triads.
Kapar division leader Datuk Song Kee Chai said: "We want to know. The number 21 is very bad for the party as it symbolises certain gangs.
"We do not want to be associated with any gangs which might disturb and try to control the party."
He said all the delegates wanted was an EGM to solve party matters.
The MCA presidential council had on Friday decided that there would only be one EGM.
Earlier, there was talk about having two EGMs, one called by president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to resolve the party crisis and the other initiated by Dr Chua's camp.
Dr Chua's resolution included a vote of no-confidence against Ong and reinstating himself.
He was expelled last month for tarnishing the party's image.
Meanwhile, vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said conflicts within the party would be resolved through internal channels and the party would focus on the needs of its members and the community.
"We have the mechanism to resolve this amicably.
"There is no point bickering. Give us a little bit of time and we will be able to pull through."
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