KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — Warning that the public was “fed up” with MCA’s continued infighting, Utusan Malaysia today urged Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek to be willing to “sacrifice” himself to save the party.

As the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party holds its emergency general meeting (EGM) today, editors of the Umno-linked newpaper took to their “Awang Selamat” pseudonym to criticise the public feud between Dr Chua and his deputy, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

“Soi Lek in his capacity as president has a better opportunity to find a peaceful way. Where he can, be lenient. Yielding does not mean defeat,” said Awang Selamat in Utusan’s weekend edition, Mingguan Malaysia, today.

“(Dr Chua) must be ready to be the sacrifice (himself) to end the crisis for the sake of the party’s interest. MCA under the era of Soi Lek’s leadership was shamed with a bad performance, which he should honourably take responsibility for. That is a real victory.”

In the column titled “Bosan dengan MCA” (Fed up with MCA), Awang Selamat agreed with an October 15 editorial in Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau that criticised MCA’s infighting as damaging to the party.

According to Awang Selamat, the report ended with a suggestion that the Chinese community has grown tired of MCA’s antics.

The party’s EGM today will decide whether the party will reverse a previous decision to reject positions in the federal and state governments, local authorities and government-linked companies owing to the party’s showing in the May 5 general election.

Delegates will also vote on a resolution to censure MCA deputy president Liow, who had spoken out against plans to backtrack on the party’s decision to snub government appointments following its dismal showing in Election 2013.OK,

Utusan’s public censure of MCA in its editorial today also suggested Umno’s growing impatience over MCA’s inability to resolve its infighting following a weaker performance in the May polls.

On Friday, the govenrment’s Registrar of Societies (RoS) also issued an “advisory” to Dr Chua to to drop the motion to censure Liow in the EGM today.

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 Liow to the party’s disciplinary committee instead.

Dr Chua yesterday thumbed his nose at the RoS and said MCA will press on with the motion, pointing out that RoS had no authority to dissuade the party from proceeding.

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.

But the speculation is that Dr Chua may be consolidating his position before possibly reneging on the pledge. When announcing the motion to censure Liow last week, Dr Chua also said he could not leave MCA in the hands of the latter.

He had then offered to quit the top post, but 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.