By Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Penang
Would MCA review their position in BN, as promised by MCA Deputy President Wee Ka Siong, if UMNO proposes hudud laws to be implemented in Malaysia? Such a review would effectively mean MCA leaving BN? That UMNO proposing hudud laws being implemented has become a reality following the action of Umno’s Sungai Air Tawar Assemblyperson Kamarol Zaki Abdul Malik UMNO submitting a motion to Selangor speaker Hannah Yeoh that the state look into the possibility of enforcing hudud in Selangor.
By submitting this hudud motion at the Selangor State Assembly, UMNO has proven that it is the real instigator in pushing for the implementation of hudud laws. DAP challenges Wee to review MCA’s position and withdraw from BN or else he should retire from politics for being an unprincipled liar!
Similarly would newly-elected Teluk Intan MP Mah Siew Keong resign as MP for breaking his election promise that a vote for him and BN, is a vote against hudud? With UMNO now proposing a motion to enforce hudud in Selangor, clearly BN which is dominated by UMNO, is not against but for hudud. This contrast with the consistency in principle of DAP and Dyana Sofya, where a vote in Teluk Intan for Dyana and DAP is indeed a vote against hudud. Unlike Mah who did not stand on a Gerakan but a BN symbol, Dyana stood on a DAP’s Rocket ticket.
If Mah Siew Keong dare not resign as MP for breaking his election promise, then would both Mah and Wee at least dare to reject any Cabinet appointments until and unless UMNO withdraws the proposed motion to enforce hudud in Selangor? This would be a test to prove both MCA and Gerakan’s sincere commitment towards opposing hudud particularly, whether they prefer Ministerial posts to principle or will choose private benefit over public interest.
Both Gerakan and MCA practices double-standards of “saying one thing but does another” when they defended UMNO for supporting the implementation of hudud in Kelantan and yet opposes PAS for doing exactly the same thing. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom started the entire controversy by instigating PAS in Parliament on March 27 2014 to implement hudud on Muslims in Kelantan. Jamil had said that “the federal government will be ready to work with any state government that is ready to implement hudud including Kelantan, because Umno Kelantan assemblypersons had supported the passing of Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II to implement hudud in 1993”.
UMNO is now adopting the same approach of enforcing hudud in Selangor. To cover-up MCA’s lack of courage to criticise UMNO for supporting the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, MCA is relying on their control of the mainstream media to distort and lie. The mainstream media failed to print former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s remarks agreeing with the DAP that only UMNO with the largest number of MPs(88) in Parliament, has the power to determine whether hudud can be implemented in Kelantan. For that reason Chua said that it is only logical that MCA must first convince Umno not to support PAS implementing hudud.
MCA and Gerakan’s continued defense of UMNO contrasts with the clear and unequivocal stand of DAP in opposing the hudud bill whether it is implemented by PAS or UMNO, whether in or outside Kelantan, whether on Muslim or non-Muslims because it is unconstitutional. Both MCA and Gerakan have confirmed their past history of shamelessly selling out the rights of the people.
Why then did UMNO not submit their motion before Teluk Intan polling day on 25 May but only after? Teluk Intan voters must be regretting ruefully for making a wrong choice of supporting a BN that supports hudud laws instead of a DAP that opposed hudud laws.
