Pakatan practising hypocrisy, says Chua

Syed Jaymal Zahiid

MCA launches fresh attacks on Pakatan for the latter's action to put a lid on the hudud controversy.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat’s gag order on the hudud debate drew instant flak from MCA which described the instruction as proof of the bloc’s blatant hypocrisy.

Its president Dr Chua Soi Lek said the opposition had “conveniently” tried to conceal its weakness by gagging its leaders from openly discussing the prickly issue that has reignited past hostility between PAS and the DAP.

“It is their right (to issue the gag order) but every time they (Pakatan) have problems, they resort to using gag orders while preaching greater democracy, transparency, accountability and openness,” he told reporters at the party’s headquarters here.

Chua, a former health minister, pointed out that Pakatan state leaders in Selangor had issued a gag order following a controversial raid by the state’s Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) on a church in Damansara recently, adding that going mute on the issue has not solved the debacle.

“The issue is still unresolved. Until now we don’t know if there was actually an attempt to convert Muslims to Christians,” he said.

The raid triggered animosity and heightened tension between Muslims and Christians amid efforts by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to improve relations by forging diplomatic ties with the Vatican last month.

But while the issue slowly took a back seat, Kelatan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat gave non-Muslim the shivers when he said his party plans to implement hudud in the east coast state.

He also said PAS has not abandoned its plans to establish an Islamic state should it wrest federal power despite having relinquished the idea for a more moderate sounding “welfare state”.

‘Pakatan must state its stand’

Nik Aziz’s statement sparked open warfare between PAS and DAP. Rival Barisan Nasional was quick to exploit the split.

This prompted Pakatan’s top brass to issue a gag order pending discussions on the subject at its meeting tomorrow.

Chua said as “a rakyat”, he has the right to demand an explanation on Pakatan’s stand on hudud and the Islamic state.

“Yes, I am from the MCA but I am also a rakyat so I have the right to know what their position is on hudud.

They cannot just issue a gag order and suddenly implement hudud…,” he said.

He added that gag orders were becoming the norm with Pakatan leaders and warned them against sweeping their problems under the carpet.

He said the Pakatan-led Selangor government is now facing another issue involving land rights in the construction of a Chinese school

Two weeks ago, the Education Ministry was entangled in a row with the Selangor government when the former purportedly purchased a plot of land to build a Chinese school. But the state government had given it away for the construction of an Indian school.

“Now the two school boards are fighting with each other over the matter,” he said, adding that he hoped the Selangor government “will not issue another gag order on the matter”.