DAP must force PAS to withdraw RUU355: MCA

SHAH ALAM: DAP must force PAS to withdraw the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Amendments Bill by threatening the party's state government posts.
Selangor MCA State Liaison Committee secretary Datuk Ng Chok Sin said DAP is one of the strongest parties in Selangor and can effectively force PAS to concede.
Ng said DAP currently has 15 seats, with PAS and PKR having 13 seats each, in the state assembly and thus holds considerable political power within the state government.
"DAP must now give PAS an ultimatum, withdraw RUU355 or all government posts from the executive council to local government councillors will be terminated.
"These government posts are very important to PAS, it is their political lifeline," he told a press conference at the MCA state liaison office yesterday.
Ng said these posts also provide PAS with much needed resources to promote its political agenda as Selangor is the nation's richest state.
He said cutting off such resources will hurt PAS and the Islamist party will think twice about continuing to push for RUU355.
Petaling Jaya Utara MCA chief Tan Gim Tuan said the important thing now is to have DAP take effective steps to force PAS's withdrawal of RUU355 instead of playing the blame game.
When asked about the federal government's support of the Bill, particularly Umno, Tan said taking effective steps are more important while MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai will do his part as well.
The Dewan Rakyat started its first session for the year todayand the RUU355 is expected to be debated.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who is Marang MP, tabled RUU355 in Parliament last March, proposing stiffer penalties except the death penalty for Syariah offences.
The Bill was then refined with the government's aid and retabled to increase jail terms from no more than 3 years to no more than 30 years, from 6 lashes to 100 lashes, and from a maximum fine of RM5,000 to RM100,000.