Joint Press Statement

suppadmin | April 18, 2014

17 April 2014

Joint Press Statement by MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and LDP on PAS’ proposal to implement hudud law in Kelantan

All parties must prevent PAS from pushing through its proposal to implement hudud through a Private Members’ Bill

1. PAS has announced that it will table a Private Members’ Bill in Parliament to allow the implementation of PAS hudud law in Kelantan. This is one of the most serious constitutional crisis since the independence of Malaysia.

Once the Bill is passed in Parliament, it will likely lead to PAS demanding amendments to the Federal Constitution to implement hudud law at the national level. If the Malaysian judicial system has two sets of criminal laws, it will trigger a constitutional imbroglio. In short, it is a road of no return.

2. During the 13th General Election, DAP beautified PAS and defended PAS despite the latter’s desire to establish a theocratic nation and implement hudud law. DAP even guaranteed that PAS will never be able to implement any theocratic law.

In less than a year after the last general election, PAS has revealed its true colours by insisting on tabling a Private Members’ Bill in Parliament to implement hudud law in Kelantan. It disregarded the objection by non-Muslims and DAP. DAP as the strongest defender of PAS, has been unable to stop PAS from enforcing hudud. DAP must apologise for misleading non-Muslim voters and having them vote for PAS.

It is also embarrassing that the Opposition leader Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim claimed that while PAS may freely implement hudud, PKR and DAP will not support the implementation of hudud in Kelantan. Such a vague statement which tries to please both PAS and the non-Muslims equals to nothing but a testimony to Anwar’s political vagueness.

DAP has 38 Parliamentary and 95 State seats and enjoyed at least half of the support from the Chinese and Indian voters in the last General Election. With such a gigantic mandate, DAP should be calling the shots in Pakatan Rakyat (PR); although DAP claimed to stop the formation of a theocratic state and calls to establish a Malaysian Malaysia, DAP cannot prevent PAS despite the latter having only 21 Parliamentary and 85 state seats from implementing hudud. DAP is now pleading with Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties for help. It has not only betrayed the mandate of the Chinese and Indian voters, it has proven that it is powerless in PR.

What makes BN different from PR is that there must be unanimous consent from all component parties in the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council and the Cabinet before implementing any important policies or tabling it to Parliament. In PR, there is no consensus but differences. This issue has exposed the fragility of Pakatan as a coalition, which has zero direction, no common ideology and runs their own show respectively.

3. PAS disregarded the objections of the non-Muslim community and insisted that the Bill to implement hudud must be passed. With the exception of the late Karpal Singh, DAP’s vague objections were given the cold shoulder by PAS. After the raid by Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) against the Damansara Utama Methodist Church and the Bible Society of Malaysia where 321 copies of the Al-Kitab and Bab Kudus were confiscated, three DAP State Assemblymen had proposed to amend the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988. However, nothing further developed because of the objection by other Pakatan Rakyat leaders and the proposal was deemed as not the official stand of Pakatan Rakyat.

DAP Exco Dato’ Teng Chang Khim had also stated that the Selangor Government has no plans to amend the said 1988 Enactment but he later claimed that DAP assemblymen can opt to table a Private Members’ Bill in the State Assembly.

So we want to ask Dato’ Teng: What is your stand? Since Dato’ Teng is the DAP Exco in the State Executive Council, what is DAP’s stand on this issue? As DAP’s representative in the State Government, Dato’ Teng has not fought on behalf of his colleagues. Paradoxically, he even asked his colleagues who do not hold any Government positions, to table a Bill and does not guarantee the passage of the Bill. Such an attitude is politically immoral.

4. The decision by the Bible Society of Malaysia to relocate from Selangor to Kuala Lumpur is further evidence that DAP has no say in the State Government. DAP has failed to protect the rights and interesst of the non-Muslims. Pakatan Rakyat does not care about the fact that Malaysia is a multiracial and multi-religious nation. As part of the State Government, DAP has chosen to be a bystander, which proves that DAP has betrayed the non-Muslims for political power.

Although Selangor DAP chairman Tony Pua had expressed his disappointment against the Selangor Government and Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, other than criticism and disappointment, Pua has not provided any constructive resolution. Even as he criticised the Selangor State Government, DAP on the other hand as the ruling party in the State Government, has not been able to do anything.

During the last General Election, DAP, had through the invasion of Red Bean Army cybertroopers, defamed MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and LDP via certain journalists and academicians to beautify the questionable motives of PAS. DAP wanted power but it should at least have a conscience and not betray the rakyat and the future generation. It should not be an accomplice to the formation of a theocratic state.

We urge DAP elected representatives with a conscience to come forward to condemn the leaders who had committed such a shameful act and stand with us to reject the implementation of hudud law. Stop selling out on he non-Muslims and sacrificing the basic structure of our nation at the altar of their political ambitions.

5. We are aware of PAS’ intention to set up a trap for UMNO in pushing for the implementation of hudud law. However, irrespective of whatever the circumstances may be and at all costs, MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and LDP are ready to uphold the Federal Constitution. We will not allow any changes that threaten the foundation of our nation.

DAP attempts to kick the ball to MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and other non-Malay component parties in BN. In wanting us to tell UMNO to reject the Bill, this is actually a move by DAP to run away from responsibility.

The Bill is initiated by PAS and not BN. If this issue happens in BN, it will not be brought to Parliament as we would have resolved it internally. DAP failed to convince PAS and PR including PKR to stop the implementation of hudud and shamelessly demanded us to convince UMNO not to support the Bill. This is just illogical and laughable.

We would like to stress that we have held a firm stand even before DAP approached us for help. All the four parties (MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and LDP) since their formation have never compromised nor wavered in upholding the diversity of the nation. We continue to safeguard the rights and interest of Malaysians and respect and uphold the Federal Constitution. These are not just our ideology but our mission and our commitment.

It is better for DAP to focus in persuading its partners in Pakatan especially PKR, which holds an ambiguous stand on the issue, to reject hudud rather than wanting us to convince other BN component parties in doing so. DAP’s own Malay MPs too have yet to make a stand on this issue. DAP should take care of its own backyard before meddling into the matters of others.

Joint Press Statement by MCA, Gerakan, SUPP & LDP