After more than a week of endless statements by MCA ministers on the government’s move to prioritize Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill in Parliament, it is becoming clearer that MCA lacks consistency and seriousness in opposing the Bill.
If MCA is serious and consistent on its stand against the Private Member’s Bill, the minimum they should do now is to totally boycott the upcoming Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.
Two days ago, International Trade and Industry Minister II Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan cum MCA Secretary General revealed that Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill was raised for an informal discussion at a Cabinet meeting earlier last month and was rejected by all those present.
This means that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Azalina Othman’s move in Parliament to give priority to Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill was done without the Cabinet’s approval or directive.
She should therefore be disciplined for such act which was an insult to the Cabinet’s authority.
Cabinet is where government policies are collectively made on consensus basis. No one, not even the Prime Minister or his deputy can unilaterally and singularly decide on a policy.
So what MCA should do is to register its strongest protest by demanding the sacking of Azalina. Yet MCA leaders have been making all sorts of heroic statements attacking the Bill and even whacking DAP but not asking for tough action against Azalina.
Why are MCA ministers afraid of going after Azalina and whoever who gave her the green light to prioritize Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill?
MCA President Datuk Liow Tiong Lai has also in the past few days articulated the concerns and fears of the Chinese community with regard to Hadi’s “Hudud bill” and Hudud law implementation.
But yet why did he also try to give confusing and wrong message to the Prime Minister when on May 29, he had openly said that the Private Member’s Bill will not affect Chinese votes in the upcoming June 18 Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-elections?
Was he trying to assure the Prime Minister that the Chinese votes will still go to the BN candidates despite their objections to the Bill?
If Liow is serious about opposing the bill, he must not give ambiguous or confusing or wrong messages to the Prime Minister.
The immediate and minimum action that Liow should do is therefore to announce MCA’s total boycott of the two upcoming parliamentary by-elections.
Teresa Kok