KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 -- MCA secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng challenged supporters of Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today to show proof that they had enough backing to call for an EGM instead of issuing ultimatums to the party.

In a statement today, Wong hit out at the leaders of a campaign looking to oust Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, and said that it was "very inappropriate" and unconstitutional for them to issue an ultimatum to the president.

The Central Delegates EGM Action Committee, which is spearheading the campaign to unseat Ong, had yesterday given the MCA president three days to set a date to have a mutual discussion on the resolutions of a proposed merger of their EGM with that of the president.

Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho, who is the main coordinator of the campaign, also questioned Wong's sincerity for allegedly telling him in a failed attempt to discuss resolutions on Friday that the president had not submitted his resolutions but telling reporters otherwise.

Both Ong and Wong have expressed their desire for a merger of the central delegate initiated EGM with one called by the president himself.

But the pro-Chua EGM committee has set an exchange of resolutions as a precondition for such a move as they feel that should they submit resolutions before their rivals do, they would be at a disadvantage as the president could alter his resolutions accordingly.

Wong today expressed disappointment over the demands made by the committee.

"I wish to express my regret over the statement made by the Central Committee member Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho demanding myself to give a reply within 3 days from 5 September 2009 for a date to meet up with him and Saudara Loh Seng Kok and exchange proposed resolutions from both sides of the camps, failing which the committee will submit a petition to myself compelling myself as the Secretary General to convene an EGM based on their agenda," said Wong in a statement to the media. "

Wong also said that Tan could still proceed with their original plan for their own EGM provided they had the backing of one third of MCA's roughly 2,400 central delegates as claimed.

Wong had two days ago told the media that he had yet to see proof that Tan has the required delegate backing.

"According to Article 30.3 and 31 in the Party Constitution, as long as Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho submits a requisition to convene an EGM together with one-third of the delegates, I will proceed with the next course of action in accordance with the Party Constitution and will also contact the three requisitionists calling for the EGM.

"Thus before Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho submits his requisition calling for an EGM, it is very inappropriate for him to express such warning statements because it is not in compliance with the Party Constitution."said Wong.

Wong added that he was "saddened" by Tan's questioning of his sincerity and also denied ever telling Tan that he did not have the president's resolutions.

It is now unclear who is recounting the correct version of events as Tan yesterday insisted that he was "one hundred per cent sure" that Wong denied having the president's resolutions.

"I wish to clarify that I never mentioned during the meeting with Sdr Loh Seng Kok and Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho that I have not received resolutions from the President. Thus, the allegation that my actions do not reflect my words does not exist," Wong said.

Supporters of Chua, who was sacked for tainting the party image via his sex DVD scandal that was exposed two years ago, announced on August 27 that they were initiating an EGM in an attempt to reinstate the former deputy president and remove Ong.

In response, the MCA president called his own EGM four days later which is expected to seek a vote of confidence in his leadership as well as to endorse Chua's sacking.

While the objectives have been widely publicised, supporters on both sides are concerned over the exact wordings of the resolutions and the impact it would have on the outcome of the EGMs.

Loh Seng Kok, one of the pro-Chua committee members, told reporters yesterday that he was apprehensive over the presence of MCA treasurer Tan Sri Tee Hock Seng at the meeting on Friday to discuss EGM resolutions as he is perceived to be Ong's man.

Wong however, told Sin Chew Daily that both sides could be assured of confidentiality and if Tan and Loh had submitted the requisition together with the proposed resolutions on Friday, he would not divulge the contents their competitors.

"I'm the Secretary-General of MCA. I'm representing the party. Don't include me in any of the factions. Also, I stress on fairly handling all the matters on the party EGM and to coordinate the two agendas and proposed resolutions as a coordinator," he was quoted as saying.

Sin Chew had three days ago cited party insiders as saying that the president's resolutions would be "shocking" and is being kept "top secret" to prevent it from leaking to the media.

Wong said today that he would keep striving toward a single EGM scenario.

"I wish to reiterate that I will try my best to hold a merged EGM to prevent too many meetings being held which will result in the central delegates being inconvenienced by spending too much time traveling to MCA HQ on different days. Holding more than one EGM will also hurt the dignity of the party and affect the pride of the General Assembly," stressed Wong. (By LEE WEI LIAN/The Malaysian Insider)