PUTRAJAYA, Nov 5 — MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today insisted on fresh party polls to respect the members’ rights to decide the party’s future and leadership, days after he lost his brief deputy presidency in a “greater unity plan” to unite warring factions.

Liow said the rights of members to choose their leaders are enshrined in the party's constitution.

"The requisitionists have the right to call for an EGM as it is in the party constitution," Liow said, referring to the number of delegates including the 16 members from the party's powerful central committee who had requested for fresh polls two days ago.

The request for the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) was shot down by MCA secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng after 27 central committee members backed the "greater unity plan" between president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and reinstated deputy president Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek, both of whom are also against the EGM proposal.

Liow, the Health Minister, said the comment made by Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday that MCA must solve its crisis through a "legal and political solution" has encouraged him to explore legal avenues to push for his agenda.

"I thank the prime minister for his statement yesterday who said that there must a legal and political solution and my lawyers are currently looking into this," he said.

Sacked central committee member Datuk Chor Chee Heung has backed Liow's decision to take the dispute to court.

Chor was among the four central committee members sacked by Ong in what appears to be a pre-emptive move to quell any possibility of an EGM being held.

His plan to stay in power has been fortified by the fact that Dr Chua's son and men have been made new central committee members, replacing the sacked four.