DAP dared MCA to break up with BN as they did with PAS concerning Hudud

DAP challenged MCA today to leave Barisan Nasional (BN) over PAS’s Bill to enhance Shariah court powers that Umno had facilitated - pointing out that it had do so with the Islamist party over hudud.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also query why his party should heed the Chinese BN component’s calls for it to leave the Selangor state government, comprising PKR, Amanah, the DAP and PAS, when the state did not table any hudud Bill.

“It is BN that facilitated and prioritised Hadi’s hudud Bill in Parliament and MCA should leave BN immediately to prove their principled stand of opposing Hadi’s hudud Bill,” Lim said in a statement, referring to PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

“MCA should emulate the consistency and principled stand of DAP on hudud. DAP had cut off all contacts and ties with Hadi when we realised that Hadi was intent on breaking his promises to Pakatan Rakyat and committed to pushing the hudud bill,” he added.

Hadi revealed earlier today that the Kelantan state government under PAS had engaged in talks with the BN federal government, before the Islamist party was given approval to table amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 that seek to expand the range of punishments the Shariah courts can mete out.

Shariah court punishments are currently limited to jail terms not exceeding three years, or whipping of not more than six strokes, or fines of not more than RM5,000.

Hadi tabled it in Parliament recently through a private member’s Bill that was expedited by Umno minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, but he had unexpectedly deferred debate of his Bill to the next parliamentary meeting in October.

Lim also dismissed today the quit threats by the leaders of BN’s non-Muslim component parties MCA, MIC and Gerakan in the event Hadi’s Bill is passed, pointing out that Umno had failed to inform MCA that BN would be facilitating the Bill in Parliament.

“Umno’s contempt of MCA that they are completely irrelevant is demonstrated by MCA minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan complaining that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had asked the Cabinet about Hadi’s hudud Bill and that the Cabinet had disagreed with the idea.

“What is worse is that MCA did not dare to protest when BN reneged on the disagreement by Cabinet, when BN supported Hadi’s hudud Bill without informing MCA, Gerakan or MIC,” he said.

Source -malay mail online-