All eyes on Dr Chua's next move

All eyes will be on MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's meeting with his supporters, Wednesday, where he is expected to announce his stand on the party's top post. Several party insiders believe Dr Chua may not seek to defend his presidency but may work out a 'unity plan' with his supporters for the contesting candidates.

MCA's polls for the top leadership have been fixed on Dec 21 with the nominations on Dec 16, while for the Youth and Wanita wings balloting will be on Dec 19 and Dec 20 respectively.

"We are meeting him at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and he may call for a press conference at 3 p.m. on the same day. However, it all depends on the outcome of the meeting," said Kedah MCA chairman Datuk Chong Itt Chew when contacted by Bernama.

So far, three aspirants, deputy president and former health minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, vice-president Gan Peng Shieu and former party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, have announced their intention to vie for the party president's post.

For deputy president, vice-president Datuk Donald Lim and MCA youth Chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong have announced their intention to contest the position while more than a dozen aspirants have expressed their intention to contest the vice-president and central committee posts.

Liow and Wee have teamed up to contest the party's top two positions.

Talks are rife that Dr Chua is trying to broker a deal among the aspirants for the party's top post in an effort to minimise the infighting and avoid an all out contest but to no avail.