PETALING JAYA: The MCA central committee (CC) is expected to take the safest path which would see a status quo in its leadership line-up as well as calming the present internal feud.

Sources said CC members, a majority still aligned to president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, were expected to vote for fresh party election in March or later to allow for a sort of 'cooling period'.

The source said they were also expected to decide whether to automatically admit the party Youth and Wanita wings chiefs into the high-powered presidential council.

"The first move was in fact stressed by deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek during the leaders (Chua and vice president Datuk Liow Tiong Lai) meet with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Sunday night.

"Both leaders agreed to a fresh party election but the timing has become a contention for the feuding factions.
"However, when Dr Chua stressed that the party election could not be held earlier than end of March and gave reasons for it, Liow did not rebutt.

"At the same time, Dr Chua had told Muhyiddin that in the fresh election, the Youth and Wanita wings would also be involved. The election should not be solely for the main party.

He said Dr Chua is expected to brief CC members and will take it from there.

"In fact, there are even talks now that they might decide to hold the election in 2011, allowing for the present term to end (the party held its election in October 2008)," the source said.

The source also said in order to 'cool off' the opposition against Ong and Dr Chua for a while, the CC members would decide to admit Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong and Wanita chief Datuk Seri Ng Nyen Nyen as automatic members of the presidential council.

He said despite the admission into the council was the prerogative of the party president, CC members would adopt this decision for the party president.

The source said majority of the CC members were inclined to support Ong at the present moment given the fact that he had tried to unite the party with his 'Greater Unity Plan' that saw the cooperation between Ong and Dr Chua.

The Prime Minister who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had expressed his wish that MCA would end its internal feud by Dec 1, the day he returned from his working trip abroad.

The source said given the scenario, the CC meeting on Wednesday is expected to be the deciding factor whether the feud in the party would end or prolonged.