CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple shareholders rejected a proposal Wednesday that called for the company to disclose a succession plan for its chief executive.

The rejection came a month after Apple CEO Steve Jobs went on an indefinite medical leave for unspecified problems — an absence that could be related to his previous bout with pancreatic cancer or his 2009 liver transplant.

Jobs did not attend the meeting, which was led by Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook and general counsel Bruce Sewell.

Apple Inc. announced the preliminary vote on the nonbinding proposal at its annual shareholders meeting at the company’s headquarters.

The Central Laborers’ Pension Fund, which owns 11,484 shares of Apple stock, called for a succession plan to ensure “a smooth transition” in case Jobs leaves as CEO.

Also on Wednesday, Apple e-mailed invitations to a media event in San Francisco. The company was expected to unveil the second generation of its wildly successful media tablet, widening its head start against competitors just starting to sell their first tablet computers.

Apple shares rose $4.01, or 1.2 percent, to close Wednesday at $342.62.