PETALING JAYA, May 28 – The presidents of MCA and Gerakan is the second minister to announce his intention to quit their Cabinet positionsif the Private Member’s Bill tabled by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is passed in Parliament. Earlier today, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he was willing to make the sacrifice to leave his position as Transport Minister, according to a report in The Star Online today.

“I’m trying to stop it. I’m trying to get all the component parties to stop it. I am urging both sides of the political divide to come together and stop this Bill. If we cannot do it, we will have to sacrifice. I will resign. No point I stay on anymore. I have to be very firm on this one,” Liow was quoted as saying by The Star.

“I’m not going to talk about it (MCA in BN) yet. I think stopping the Bill now is more important than showing emotion. You have to talk in the spirit of Barisan and using the force within Barisan to get this Bill stopped. But I am prepared for it (to leave Cabinet). I am not worried with what I said,” Liow said, according to The Star.

Meanwhile, reiterating his stand taken in 2014 on being held accountable should any form of hudud law be implemented in the country, Gerakan President Mah Siew Keong said he too was ready to resign. He said, as such, they are concerned over the tabling of the Bill by Hadi in Parliament to confer open ended sentencing powers on the Syariah Criminal court except on the death penalty.

“And yes, I will be prepared to do what Datuk Seri Liow has announced.Hadi’s proposed section 2A is also vague and unclear. We are unable to decipher its legislative intent. With Malaysia being a multi-ethnic and religious nation, the party would do all it can to preserve its way of life.We cannot have a criminal justice system for Muslims and one for non-Muslims. There must be uniformity of laws and we must not allow any duplicity,” he said here on Saturday.

He urged PAS to withdraw the amendments in its current form and consult the Attorney-General and other legal experts so it could act in consonance with the Federal Constitution. Mah also questioned if DAP should be held accountable over its move to ask voters to vote for PAS in the last general election. He said DAP and PAS are together in the Selangor state government today. He said Lim Guan Eng (DAP secretary-general) should also resign if the law is implemented.

Pocket News

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