“He [Chua] is a liability to BN -Nizar

TAIPING: PAS is claiming that MCA is using the hudud issue to drive away the Chinese from voting for the opposition.

But the Islamist party adds that MCA chief Dr Chua Soi Lek’s constant questioning of hudud will be a liability for Barisan Nasional.

PAS state deputy chief Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said, “He [Chua] is a liability to BN and the more he criticises hudud, the more plus points for Pakatan Rakyat in winning the coming general election.”

“Chua’s statement on the hudud issue has angered the Muslim community as religion is a very sensitive issue to Muslims,’’ he said.

This will drive Malays who are equally divided in loyalty to both BN and Pakatan, to make a U-turn and give more support to Pakatan in the coming polls, he claimed.

He told this to FMT after attending a function in Changat Jering on Sunday.

Nizar said that support for MCA from the Chinese community is eroding fast as seen in the recent two protest marches.

He was referring to the United Chinese Schools Committees Association of Malaysia or Dong Zong mammoth gathering in Petaling Jaya to protest against the National Education Blueprint

The other gathering was the 300km march from Kuantan by the Himpunan Hijau group protesting against the Lynas Advanced Material Plant in Gebeng (Kuantan) .

Nizar said that MCA which had depended on the Malay votes for winning its seats will receive a double blow from both the Chinese and Malay voters in the coming polls.

“MCA is using an old school of thought on hudud to frighten the Chinese community into voting against PAS and Pakatan, which is not working as they have recognised us as a party for all,” said Nizar, a former menteri besar.

He pointed out that even the Minister for Islamic Affairs, Jamil Khir Baharom, had stated recently that hudud will not have an impact on non-Muslims in Malaysia.

Jamil had been reported as saying that the punishments under the Islamic penal code comes under the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court which applies only to Muslims. humayun kabir( fmt)