Constitution at risk under Pakatan rule, claims Soi Lek

UPDATED @ 01:24:56 PM 18-02-2012

By Yow Hong Chieh

February 18, 2012

Dr Chua pointed to Kelantan as an example of what Malaysia would become under a PR administration. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — The integrity of the Federal Constitution would come under threat of Islamisation if the opposition seizes Putrajaya, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said today.

The MCA president said this was because the “principal benefactor” of any Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government would be PAS, which he claimed could impose Islamist values on non-Muslims as Malays formed the majority of the electorate.

“Pause for a moment. Just imagine the whole country being transformed into Kelantan, with all its restrictions and lack of emphasis on socio-economic development,” he said in his opening speech at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference here.

“So let’s not be deceived by dishonest rhetoric. Let us face the hard truth that if Pakatan comes to power, the Malaysian Constitution will be in jeopardy and the Malaysian way of life will be compromised.”Dr Chua said it was “naïve” to believe DAP could keep PAS’s agenda in check, and noted that the mostly-Chinese party had failed to stop their Islamist partner from pursuing policies that encroached on non-Muslims’ way of life.

This included the bans on concerts, sale of alcohol, and lottery tickets, as well as the public segregation of males and females in Kelantan and Kedah, which were under PAS control, he said.

“DAP must be day-dreaming that it can control PAS from imposing its values on non-Muslims,” he said.

DAP’s inability to stand up against PAS will also only bolster the “hidden Islamic agenda” of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has obligations to Muslim youth group Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Dr Chua added.

He said BN, unlike “puritanical” PAS, has never sought to limit non-Muslims’ social and personal freedoms, and urged the Chinese community not to gamble with the fabric of multiracial Malaysia.

“I recognise that there are many issues out there that need our attention and the need for us to change, but change should not lead to destroying the very edifice that has housed us all this time.

“Let’s not forget the old adage about bringing down the house in order to make improvements,” he said.