MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon said Lim’s move to Bersatu was made without any prior warning.

“MCA’s central committee’s policy dictates that any member who joins another political party or publicly tenders their resignation will be immediately expelled from the party,” he said in a Facebook post.

Sin Woon said the Johor MCA liaison committee will also notify the Kluang Municipal Council immediately to revoke Lim’s position as a councillor for the Kampung Gajah zone.

Lim, however, told FMT he has submitted his resignation letter as a municipal councillor.

In the post, Sin Woon shared a photo of Lim wearing a Bersatu T-shirt and standing beside Bersatu’s non-Bumiputera associate wing chief, Chong Fat Full.

Separately, MCA organising secretary-general Leaw Kok Chan said the party headquarters has received confirmation of Lim’s membership in Bersatu.

“In view of this, MCA has expelled Lim from the party effective immediately, and also requested the Johor government to terminate his councillor position, which was appointed under MCA’s banner,” Leaw said in a statement.