Chua Soi Lek's take on hudud

When I was the MCA President, I had been emphasizing that PAS would never give up its hudud goal because it is the party’s agenda and that the implementation of hudud is the ultimate goal of PAS.

For Muslims, they will have to support their religious struggle. When the hudud is being tabled in Parliament, Muslim MPs will not have a choice but to support the religious law.

Some said PAS’s hudud is not the authentic hudud, it is just a set of religious law defined by PAS and not a real Islamic hudud.

When I debated with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, I said DAP would never and unable to counter balance PAS because it has become a political eunuch when facing PAS.

Other than the late Karpal Singh and DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang, no one in DAP dare to openly object against the implementation of hudud by PAS, some in DAP even claim that “no one should be afraid of hudud as long as they don’t steal or rob”.

During the 505 General Election, MCA had set the objection on hudud as its main theme in campaigning, it was rather unfortunate that some shortsighted leaders in the party had thought that hudud issue was inappropriate and outdated.

Similarly, when I said “a vote for DAP is a vote for PAS”, the Chinese community had laughed at us as we were singing the old tune.

During the pre-GE roadshow, other than former MCA Youth Chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who was willing to explain to the Chinese community on the impact of hudud, most of the MCA leaders had avoided touching this topic.

Those who avoided this issue included former Deputy President Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai, they chose not to talk on this issue simply because they were worried that they would offend Umno and PAS as they might lose their Malay votes in their constituencies.

Now that PAS has officially stated that it would table a Private Members’ Bill to implement hudud, this proves that I have done the right thing to talk about hudud during the last GE. I had reminded the Chinese voters not to strengthen PAS and allow Pakatan Rakyat to make this happen. What happened now has proven that I was not threatening the Chinese.

The new MCA leadership has been seen as helpless and weak in objecting hudud, I can only see some second-in-command leaders and MCA Youth making statement on the issue, but I have failed to see a more active, firmer and more practical stand in opposing to the issue by MCA.

The MCA leadership should take the lead by bringing all Barisan Nasional Chinese-based component parties to meet the Prime Minister and firmly oppose to the implementation of hudud in a multiracial country and to ensure that BN understands the stand of the Chinese-based component parties. This issue should be brought up in the BN Supreme Council by MCA.

We must understand that some Umno MPs because of the religious factor, will not be able to object but to support the Bill.

There are 21 PAS MPs, Umno has 88 MPs, both parties have 109 MPs, it is only short of 3 votes to pass a Bill which requires 112 votes.

There are 2 Muslim MPs in DAP, there are also Muslim MPs in PKR, what are their stand? Will they object against the implementation of hudud? If they do not dare to object, the Bill will definitely be passed in Parliament.

MCA can no longer depend on statements to fight against the implementation of hudud, it needs a firm party stand to tell PM about its intention.

Sadly, our party leadership does not dare to tell Umno right in the face because they are too scared to lose Umno’s support in their constituencies which will affect their political career.

The current MCA leadership seems to be self-serving, they only think about their political and support for the Muslim voters.

They should not just talk but it’s time to walk the talk and act that MCA is different from DAP in fighting against PAS Hudud. -- CHUA SOI LEK