MCA: We are firmly against hudud
BY YUEN MEIKENG
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KUALA LUMPUR: MCA is firm in opposing PAS’ plan to impose hudud and as such, Barisan Nasional will not have a consensus to support the proposal.
MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said this in response to reporters who noted that several Umno leaders had stated that they were in favour of hudud being implemented in Kelantan.
“Barisan Nasional must work by consensus. If MCA is firm in disagreeing, then there is no consensus,” he said after chairing the party’s presidential council meeting at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
Kelantan Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed was reported to have said that Umno MPs from the state would support the Private Member’s Bill that PAS planned to table in the Dewan Rakyat to pave way for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom had also reportedly said that Umno would help PAS implement hudud.
Liow urged Barisan component parties to reject PAS’ plans to implement its interpretation of hudud as it was against the Federal Constitu-tion. He said the hudud issue was started by PAS and should be settled by Pakatan Rakyat.
“This issue was created by PAS. It should not be thrown to us.”
Liow also called on Pakatan parties – DAP, PKR and PAS – to clear the air over the differing views of their leaders on hudud.
“DAP should be clear on their ‘agree to disagree’ consensus in Pakatan over hudud,” he said.
Liow said MCA was not against Islam and understood the feelings of Muslims, but the plans of PAS went against the grain of the Federal Constitution.
On the Bukit Gelugor by-election, Liow said the party would discuss it with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and keep the press informed of any development.
He said the Prime Minister would launch MCA’s “Stronger Together” campaign on May 3 at the Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Setapak.
The campaign is to forge a united stand on MCA’s transformation blueprint to make the party stronger and more harmonious.
It would include programmes involving politics, education, culture, women and youths, Liow said.
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