Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is said to be leading in the count for the MCA presidency although the presidential votes will only be tabulated after 5pm.
Party insiders say early indication shows that Dr Chua is in the lead with at least 1,000 votes in his favour. He is trailed by incumbent Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat followed by former president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting.
No confirmation could however be obtained if the information is true.
“From what I was told, Dr Chua has 1,085 votes while Tee Keat has something like 600 votes or so. Ka Ting has the remainder,” an insider said, but acknowledged that vote-counting for the presidential post has yet to start.
A total of 2,315 out of the 2,318 central delegates who registered for the polls had cast their votes when the process ended shortly after noon today.
Dr Chua, the former Health Minister whose political career came to an abrupt halt after a sex scandal in 2007, is apparently a favourite among the grassroots leaders, said the insider.
“For Ka Ting, it is not easy for him to make such inroads with the delegates after making a sudden comeback like that. What he is doing is just calling in old favours and reviving old friendships,” he added.
The counting process is expected to last for several more hours, and according to the election steering committee chairman Datuk Wong Foon Meng, the earliest results can be expected by 7pm.
According to officials, three delegates had not collected their ballot papers.
The extraordinary general meeting was adjourned at 12.30pm by assembly Speaker Datuk Yik Phooi Hoong and delegates proceeded to the building’s foyer for lunch.
A total of 101 candidates are contesting for the 31 posts in the MCA central committee (CC).
The election was called after 21 CC members resigned early this month to protest against Tee Keat’s presidency.
The Transport Minister was elected in 2008 after Ka Ting stepped down in the aftermath of the party’s losses in Election 2008.
Meanwhile, despite the calm that has taken over from the earlier carnival-like atmosphere here, rumours of Dr Chua’s probably win are still reverberating through MCA halls.
There has been no official information from election officials on the results of the polls
courtesy of Malaysian Insider
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