‘Cabinet posts not likely to be on AGM agenda’

Published: Wednesday November 13, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 

Updated: Wednesday November 13, 2013 MYT 7:30:30 AM

KUALA LUMPUR: Central delegates are unlikely to discuss whether the party should accept Cabinet posts at the MCA annual general meeting (AGM) next month.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who said this, reasoned that it was not time yet for them to review the matter as the delegates had only last month opposed a resolution to allow party members to accept Cabinet posts at an EGM.

On the appointment of councillors, community leaders and hospital visitors board members, Dr Chua said the divisions would submit their nominees to the state liaison committees from the end of the month.

Dr Chua also congratulated newly-elected state Youth and Wanita leaders.

“I hope they will work as a team to help MCA regain the support of the people, especially the young. We do not wish to see the two wings bring into the party what we call factions and partisan politics,” he said after chairing the party central committee meeting at Wisma MCA yesterday.

Other issues discussed concerned national Chinese conforming schools, implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 2015 and the MCA insurance plan.

The party has pushed for an annual allocation of RM20mil for the 81 national Chinese conforming schools (SMJK) which has some 125,000 students.

Dr Chua said these schools – which were allocated RM30mil this year – were left out of Budget 2014.

“They are part of the education system and play an important role in training human resources for the country,’’ he stressed.

He said the party had also proposed that personal and corporate taxes be reduced gradually after the implementation of GST.