The transformation in MCA voting system is crucial to ensure the party is more democratic and closer to the people, said party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said the change in the system would also ensure better preparedness among party members in facing challenges.

"We need leaders to make the changes first, leaders should get support from the grassroots and with the increase in delegates, we believe it will further activate party members at the grassroot level," he said when met at the Parliament lobby today.

He was commenting the resolution to change the party's election voting system to allow some 33,000 divisional delegates to elect the top leadership which was passed at the MCA extraordinary general meeting (EGM) last Saturday.

Under the existing voting system, the leaders are elected by 2,400 central delegates during the party election, which is held every three years during its annual general meeting (AGM).

Liow said many more transformation would be carried out by the party to ensure it remained relevant to the Chinese community, as well as attract more voters in the coming general election.

In another development, Liow said MCA was firm in its stand for the government to recognise the United Examination Certificate (UEC) for its holders to apply for entry into public universities. - BERNAMA