KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — The Registrar of Society (RoS) has advised MCA party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek to drop the motion to censure his estranged deputy at the party’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM) tomorrow.

RoS principal senior assistant director Desmond Das said its director-general, Mohammad Razin Abdullah, issued a letter to Dr Chua on Thursday morning, in which the official “expressed concern about the ongoing tiff between Dr Chua and Liow” and urged him to refer Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to the party’s disciplinary committee instead.

“The letter stated that the resolution to censure Liow during MCA’s EGM should be dropped and the party should go through the proper channels [in dealing with Liow].

“The MCA constitution contains provisions that enable the party to take disciplinary action against any member who fails in carrying out his duties.

“The plan to censure Liow should be shelved for the sake of preserving MCA’s unity,” Das told the New Straits Times yesterday.

He clarified, however, that the letter was merely advisory and not a directive as there was no complaint from MCA members against the resolution to censure Liow.

It is unclear if Dr Chua will announce his decision at a press conference scheduled for this afternoon.

The motion is one of the four points proposed for the EGM that was originally intended to revoke a resolution passed in the last congress: That MCA leaders refuse any government or official posts if the party performed worse than Election 2008.

While initially keeping to the pledge, Dr Chua later moved to convene the EGM to revoke the self-imposed ban on government posts, a move Liow had criticised. This triggered a war of words between the two camps, a clash Dr Chua blamed on his deputy and listed as a cause for the censure motion.

Following that, rumours were rife that Dr Chua may renege on his pledge to step down.

Immediately after the May 5 general election Dr Chua said he will not defend his post in the party’s November polls following MCA’s worst electoral performance.

A week ago, Dr Chua offered to quit the top post, only if Liow were to follow suit, to pave way for new blood, naming a few, including his son, Labis MP Datuk Chua Tee Yong.

But Liow said that, regardless of the outcome tomorrow, he will contest for the top post.