KUALA LUMPUR: It is game over at the moment for those who are in favour of fresh party polls as the MCA Central Committee (CC) officially confirmed the number of elected CC members who stepped down were insufficient to trigger fresh polls.

MCA Deputy President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the CC reached the decision after endorsing a recommendation by the party's special committee for fresh party election, adding that the 13 elected CC members who submitted undated resignation letters were short of the numbers needed under the party constitution to have an election.

Speaking at the press conference after the four-hour CC meeting Friday, he said the CC’s official position was that there would only be fresh polls with adequate number of resignations, stressing that the elected CC members were free to resign anytime for such purpose.

"It is best for such question (on resignation) be directed to all individual elected CC members. It is not fair for me to represent them and I’m in no position to answer," Chua replied when asked if other elected CC members would resign.

Chua pointed out that the 13 elected CC members who submitted undated resignation letters have not officially resigned as they specified in their letters that their resignations would only be valid for the purpose of re-election.

"To all intent and purposes, they are still members of the Central Committee," he said, adding that the letters would still be kept by the party.

For fresh polls to be held, at least two-thirds or 21 of the 31 elected CC members must resign. Vice president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai led the 13 elected CC members to submit undated resignation letters last month to the party’s secretary general.

MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat had left the meeting an hour earlier as he had a medical appointment in relation to treatment on his ankle.

"As you can see I’m still limping," said Ong adding that Chua would be the party spokesperson for the press conference.

Liow, who was absent at the press conference, declined to comment when met by media representatives but said he had to rush for another function.

Meanwhile, Chua also announced that the CC had set March 7, 2010 for the party's 2009 Annual General Meeting (AGM) which would be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"We have also decided that the party’s anniversary celebration will be held on March 6," he noted. The AGM for the party’s Youth and Wanita wings will be held on March 6.

The deputy president also announced the CC had appointed former party vice-president and MP for Alor Gajah Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn to head the party’s disciplinary board after the position was vacated last November.

He also said Chan Tse Yuen had been made deputy chairman while Datuk Lim Si Cheng, Lau Chih Siang and Ivan Chen Kai Hong were appointed as members of the board.

The disciplinary board fell vacant as its head Ng Cheng Kiat together with its members Datuk Jimmy Low, Datuk Ng Soon Por, Dr Lai Kuan Fook and Lau Chih Siang resigned en bloc after their recommendation to sack party deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was overturned in the Oct 10, 2009 extraordinary general meeting (EGM).

The CC also decided to appoint Transport Minister’s political secretary Simon Lim as its national organising secretary and Datuk Tee Siew Kiong as his deputy.