Call to keep 2011 commitment

PETALING JAYA: MCA Syariah Law and Policy Implementation Special Task Force has urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to show political leadership and reiterate his commitment in 2011 not to implement the hudud law.
Its chairman Gan Ping Sieu said no amount of short term political gain can ever justify the constitutional duty to the country as undertaken by political leaders when taking oath as legislators and assuming public posts.
He said Umno was playing a dangerous political game by embarking on the perilous course of allowing Marang MP and PAS president, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang to implement the proposed unconstitutional religious criminal laws.
"The move is destabilising the political framework of this country and threatening to break up the Federation by tearing apart the Constitutional Bill of Malaya prior to Merdeka and the Malaysia Agreement with the East Malaysian States," he said in a statement.
He added that this move undermines the relationship of Barisan Nasional component parties and a blatant breach of BN decision making process by bypassing BN Supreme Council in matter of such fundamental magnitude and gravity.
Gan pointed out that there are more than sufficient authoritative sources of Islamic jurisprudence argued against the implementation of hudud laws in contemporary society, especially one that is built on celebrating diversity of our nation.
He said the proposed implementation of hudud laws goes against the fundamental rights and liberties enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
MCA Youth legal bureau chief Ng Kian Nam urged Najib to make a clear stand whether Umno supports the Hudud Bill.
"If Umno decides to support the Bill it would be a betrayal of not only BN component parties but also of the voters," he said.
Ng said other BN component party leaders have clearly stated that they would resign their Cabinet post therefore Najib as the Prime Minister either resign or dissolve Parliament to seek a new mandate.
"Umno's support the Hudud Bill has fundamentally destroyed the BN coalition," he said in a statement.
He asked what was the purpose of having the BN coalition when Umno has decided to support BN's political enemy's Bill.
Ng also chided Lim Guan Eng for claiming that DAP had cut ties with PAS but the in actual fact it continues to have a close relationship with PAS.
He said DAP has urged MCA and Gerakan to cut ties with Umno over the Hudud Bill but DAP is still working jointly with PAS in Selangor and have never actually cut ties.
Meanwhile, Perak state assembly S. K. Devamany said if the Hudud Bill gets passed then he would have no choice but to resign from his post.
"Consensus has always been the foundation of this nation from the very beginning and we need to have such consensus in regards to this issue, no one party can decide on its own," he said.
He added that the worrying fact is that the Hudud Bill affects the whole country, not Kelantan alone, and this may open a flood gate with other states following Kelantan route.