Liow: I will resign if hudud Bill passed
THE STAR
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pic) dropped a bombshell on Saturday saying he will resign from the Cabinet if PAS’ Private Member’s Bill is passed in Parliament.
“I’m trying to stop it. I’m trying to get all the component parties to stop it. I am urging both sides of the political divide to come together and stop this Bill,’’ the Transport Minister told The Star.
“If we cannot do it, we will have to sacrifice. I will resign.
“No point for me to stay on anymore, you know. I have to be very firm on this. I was thinking of saying this in the press conference yesterday (Friday),” Liow said.
But Liow hopes it does not have to come to that, as he called on parties from both sides of the political divide to vote down the Bill, which was tabled in Parliament by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on Thursday.
On Friday, Liow in a joint statement with three presidents of Barisan’s component members, voiced displeasure that the Bill was brought forward in Parliament over other Government matters and that it was not discussed within the Cabinet or the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council.
“I’m not going to talk about it (MCA in Barisan) yet. I think stopping the Bill now is more important than showing emotion.
“You have to talk in the Barisan spirit and using the force within Barisan to get this Bill stopped,” he said.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said moved a motion to push Hadi’s Bill up the Standing Order’s list.
The Bill was earlier listed as No.15 or the last item on the Standing Order.
However, Hadi had requested that the Bill on hudud will only be debated at the next Parliament meeting in October.
The Bill seeks to amend Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) 2016 to allow the Kelantan PAS state government to impose hudud punishment for crimes, except death sentences.
The hudud punishment apparently only applies to Muslims in Kelantan.
PETALING JAYA: Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong (pic) is the second minister to announce his intention to resign from the Cabinet if the Private Member’s Bill tabled by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is passed in Parliament.
Mah, also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, reiterated the party’s objection to any attempt to implement Islamic criminal law. He also reiterated the stand he took in 2014 that he would take full responsibility if hudud law was implemented.
“As such, we are concerned over the tabling of the Bill by Hadi in Parliament to confer open ended sentencing powers on the Syariah Criminal court except on the death penalty.
“And yes, I will be prepared to do what Datuk Seri Liow has announced,” he told The Star on Saturday.
MCA president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he would resign from the Cabinet if the Bill was passed.
Mah said Gerakan respects the position of Islam as the religion of the Federation but the party was concerned about Hadi’s attempt to circumvent constitutional principles and implement Islamic criminal law that contravenes the Federal Constitution.
“Hadi’s proposed section 2A is also vague and unclear. We are unable to decipher its legislative intent,” he said.
Mah said with Malaysia being a multi-ethnic and religious nation, the party would do all it can to preserve its way of life.
“We cannot have a criminal justice system for Muslims and one for non-Muslims. There must be uniformity of laws and we must not allow any duplicity,” he said.
He urged PAS to withdraw the amendments in its current form and consult the Attorney-General and other legal experts so it could act in consonance with the Federal Constitution.
Mah also questioned if DAP should be held accountable over its move to ask voters to vote for PAS in the last general election.
“They are together in the Selangor state government today. Lim Guan Eng (DAP secretary-general) should also resign if hudud is implemented," he said.
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