The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) yesterday decided to postpone its polls, held every three years, to three months after the general election. This is the first time its internal elections have been shelved.

'The party wants to stay as a united front to face the general election,' MCA president Ong Ka Ting told reporters after chairing a meeting of its central committee, the party's top decision-making body.

'If you look at the media reports, there's a lot of speculation that it is near. Just how near, we do not know.'

Datuk Seri Ong also refused to be drawn into speculating on the polls' timing but, as a senior leader in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition, many believe he would have a clear idea.

Asked if the decision to postpone the MCA elections was based on insider information on when the general election would be held, he replied:

'I think the media has turned the topic of the general election into a very hot issue and any Malaysian who reads newspapers will not disagree with this.

'We would not know how soon it is, but it's time for us to get ready.'

The MCA, with more than one million members, last held its elections to pick local and national leaders in 2005.

The biggest political party, the 3.4million-strong Umno, in September 2006 postponed its internal elections, due last year, to prepare for the general election.

Past experience has showed that the internal polls of the political parties can be a messy affair, with aspirants throwing dirt at each other and causing a split that could undermine performance in a general election.

The recent downfall of former health minister Chua Soi Lek, a vice-president in the MCA whose sex tryst with his lover was exposed, is seen widely as a result of tactics linked to the party's elections.

Despite speculation that the sex-tape episode could split the MCA, its leaders have put up a united front, although Datuk Seri Dr Chua had strongly hinted that he was toppled by his political foes within the party.

The intense speculation about the poll date has angered influential Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the timing was the prerogative of the Prime Minister, who is also his father-in-law.

'I do not understand why everyone from the politicians to the Election Commission chairman is speculating on the election date,' he was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times yesterday.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's mandate expires only in mid-2009.

But last week, police announced that leave for its personnel has been frozen indefinitely.

And adding to the election fever, Election Commission chairman Abdul Rashid Rahman said the polls are 'around the corner' and that he was not joking when he said this.

The sex DVD scandal involving Datuk Seri Dr Chua is also expected to become an election topic.

MCA chief Datuk Seri Ong yesterday said he would let the police investigate if political conspiracy was the reason behind Datuk Seri Dr Chua's downfall.

kumhor@sph.com.sg