"Put hudud to sleep once and for all" - MCA Youth

The issue of implementing hudud in this country should be ended by both sides of the political divide "once and for all" as there will never be consensus on the matter, said MCA Youth Saturday.

Its national chairman Chong Sin Woon also called on the country's leaders to focus their attention and political will on "more pertinent issues" that require immediate attention.

These, he said, included issues such as water shortage and flash floods in Selangor.

"We strongly believe that leaders from both sides of the political divide should put an end to the issue of implementing hudud in this country.

"Both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat should stop raising the issue of hudud and put this issue to sleep once and for all," the Senator said.

Chong's statement came in response to DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke's call for PAS to withdraw from Pakatan if the party insists on implementing hudud as this was not the coalition's agreement.

Chong said MCA Youth fully supports Loke over his warning to PAS.

"Despite our political differences, we are of the view that this (leaving Pakatan) is the right and honourable thing to do, and we hope that this is the stand taken not just by Loke himself but the same stand adopted by DAP and PKR as members of the Pakatan coalition.

"In the same vein, MCA Youth would like to put on record that it was not, it is not, and it will never be, the consensus of the Barisan Nasional coalition to implement hudud," he said.

Chong explained that such a consensus was reached by the core Barisan Nasional component parties – UMNO, MCA and MIC – during the foundation years of Malaysia under the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman.

This was demonstrated through the Alliance Memorandum submitted to the Reid Commission in 1956, and "this remains the consensus, the spirit and the principle that the Barisan Nasional will uphold," said Chong.

"Let's stop wasting time on trivial issues," he added, reiterating that he was extending his hand to Pakatan leaders and supporters, asking them to "move beyond politics, let us compete and work together at the same time".