Biggest MCA charade in 65-year party history – threatening to mobilise thousands of people and even to surround Parliament to oppose hudud but it could not mobilise one person, the MCA President, to say “No” to Najib

Malaysians are watching the roll-out of the biggest MCA charade in its 65-year party history – MCA threatening to mobilise thousands of people and even to surround Parliament to oppose hudud but it could not mobilise one person, the MCA President himself, to say “No” to the Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the issue.

Based on a very misleading and incorrect translation of the Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council statement on hudud on Sept. 28, 2011, the MCA had launched an aggressive but dishonest nation-wide campaign against the DAP which has ended up as the biggest MCA charade in its 65-year party history.

It is sad to watch such a MCA charade – for it has only succeeded in relentlessly and mercilessly exposing Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and the MCA leaders as political leaders without conviction, principles and scruples, which was why the MCA was roundly rejected by the Malaysian electorate in the 13th general elections last May and reduced to a “7-11” political party in Malaysia.

Liow and the current MCA leadership are now under a stringent test – are they prepared to tell Najib that they are not prepared to return to the Barisan Nasional Cabinet and Government until and unless the consensus principle is restored to the Barisan Nasional, and Najib retract his unilateral and arbitrary announcement last Thursday that the Barisan Nasional Federal Government had never rejected hudud?

Or are ministerial and deputy ministerial positions and other perks of office more important for Liow and the current crop of MCA leaders than political conviction and principles including the important principle that Barisan Nasional operates by way of consensus of all component parties and not just at the dictate of one political party, UMNO?

When Najib made the shocking statement in Alor Star last Thursday that the Barisan Nasional Federal Government had never rejected hudud, why was there no objection or contrary voice by the MCA President.

Similarly, why was the MCA Presidential Council which met yesterday silent on Najib’s announcement, which was clearly contrary to the principle of Barisan Nasional consensus unless Liow had secretly or privately given his agreement to Najib’s statement – whether before or after the event?

Would an emergency meeting of the MCA Central Committee be convened to rebut and repudiate Najib’s statement last Thursday that the Barisan Nasional Federal Government had never rejected hudud?

Or there is no such need as what Najib announced in Alor Star had willy-nilly become automatic Barisan Nasional policy, which no MCA leader would publicly oppose or criticize as it would endanger the return of Liow and other MCA leaders to the Barisan Nasional Cabinet and Government as Ministers and Deputy Ministers?

Let Liow and the MCA leadership clarify this very simple issue which is being asked by all thinking Malaysians.

Lim Kit Siang DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Gelang Patah