Guan Eng riled up by MCA comparison: Follows Soi Lek's hudud 'quit' threat

It looks like election fever has begun. DAP is the latest to rush to rattle its sabre after arch rival MCA 'beat' it to the post in the Islamic hudud law issue. MCA president Chua Soi Lek had vowed to take his party out of the BN if Umno introduced hudud law.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Guan Eng decided to out-shout the scandal-tainted Chua, although politically it may not have been the most savvy of moves.

Took the bait, hook, line and sinker

However, with the 13th general election widely expected in November, DAP might have felt the pressure to protect its hold over the Chinese electorate it competes for against the MCA and Gerakan.

Both BN parties had last week stepped out fiercely to protest Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's statement that Umno supported hudud but would not implement it yet as the nation was not ready.

In a frenzied burst of co-ordination, the BN-controlled press played up the issue with Soi Lek photograped walking beside Prime Minister Najib Razak to imply that he was the one who succeeded in getting Najib to reverse Muhyiddin's statement. Najib had announced that there was no place for hudud law in Malaysia.

"Yes, it was unnecessary of Guan Eng. Firstly within Pakatan, it is a fact there is no provision for hudud in the first place, so Kelantan could not implement it anyway. Nik Aziz was responding to Mahathir Mohamad who had challenged him and Nik Aziz had probably wanted to show Umno's hypocrisy," PKR director of strategies toldMalaysia Chronicle.

"Then since Najib had already declared there would be no hudud, it was redundant for Guan Eng to say he would quit the Pakatan council but maybe he felt the pressure from the MCA and that Chua Soi Lek."

According to Rafizi, more such election 'madness' would grip the nation in the next few weeks given the impotance of GE-13, where the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has a good chance of overthrowing the BN.

Made to look weak by the BN-press

According to the Star, Guan Eng said DAP's top leadership would resign en masse if hudud law or the formation of an Islamic state was incorporated in the Pakatan common policy framework or "Buku Jingga".

"If there is any mention that we want to implement hudud law in our common policy framework and Buku Jingga, the party's entire central committee will resign," Guan Eng told reporters after officiating DAP's Federal Territories convention on Sunday.

"Hudud law was never included in Pakatan's common policy framework and if it is not included, it should not be part of the agenda."

This was a significant departure in tone from a press conference given just two days ago, where he said DAP would agree to disagree with PKR and PAS.

A day ago, Soi Lek was played up as the hero of the Chinese community for thumbing his nose at Muhyiddin.

“MCA’s stand is very clear. We will object strongly to hudud. If Umno wants to implement hudud, we will pull MCA out of Barisan Nasional - simple as that. Our stand is very clear. Umno wants to implement hudud, MCA is no party to it, we’ll get out of it," Soi Lek told reporters on Friday.

Amused and bemused

Other MCA leaders rushed to hurl insults at Guan Eng and DAP, demanding to know why they were so quiet and obedient to their Malay 'masters' PAS and PKR.

Meanwhile, as the political parties in the country tied themselves into a knot over hudud and other issues including the Bukit Kepong incident, Christian groups who have often been victims of Umno's cruel political teasing are cool over the matter. Many were bemused and amused.

"They are all posturing and rattling their sabres. I was in Church today and the pastor mentioned the hudud issue. No one was frightened of PAS or hudud. People understand that it is only for the Muslims. It is the politicians who are playing havoc," Ramon Navaratnam, a Christian lay leader and past president of Transparency International, told Malaysia Chronicle.

- Malaysia Chronicle

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