Will DAP sack Norman Fernandez?

If DAP fails to sack its Johor deputy chairman Norman Fernandez for calling on voters to reject PAS, then he must be 'telling the truth', claims MCA chief.

UPDATED

JOHOR BARU: MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek wants to know if DAP will sack its Johor deputy chairman Norman Fernandez over his call for voters to reject PAS in the 13th general election.

Chua said that if Fernandez is not expelled, then he is “telling the truth”.

Fernandez made the call in an article published by Outsyedthebox.blogspot.com on Saturday. In the article Fernandez said non-Muslims should not cast their votes for PAS because of its insistence on establishing an Islamic state and implementing the hudud law.

“I for one have finally made up my mind, and I am convinced that PAS does not deserve my vote,” he said in the statement titled “Johor cannot gamble and risks its future with PAS”.

Fernandez, a lawyer, described PAS’ repeated pronouncements of its Islamic state and hudud agenda during the election period as “an utter contempt and disregard for the common manifesto of Pakatan Rakyat”.

He said despite assuring the non-Muslims that hudud is not applicable to them, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had during his term as the Terengganu Menteri Besar in 1999-2004 been caught on record stating otherwise.

“On July 7, Hadi when winding up the debate on Shariah Criminal Offences (Hudud and Qisas) Bill in Terengganu state assembly declared that when the time comes, hudud and qisas law will be extended to the non-Muslims,” said the Catholic politician.

He also cited PAS vice-president Husam Musa’s pledge to change the weekend to Friday and Saturday and information chief Suhaizan Kayat’s previous remarks that Muslims cannot wish the Christians “Merry Christmas” as the clear examples of PAS imposing its values on non-Muslims.

DAP distances itself

Commenting on this, Chua told a press conference here that DAP should have the guts to dismiss Fernandez.

“I hope DAP will sack Norman Fernandez if he is not telling the truth. But if he isn’t sacked, that means what he said was the truth,” he said.

Chua hoped non-Muslims would open their eyes to the issue of hudud since now there is a statement coming from a Pakatan grassroot leader.

“I would like to express my gratitude to a DAP leader who was brave enough to voice up for justice and fully support what has been touted by MCA all this while.

“DAP is a fellow political partner of PAS. So when this comes from a DAP leader, it brings significance,” he said.

Earlier at a separate press conference, Johor DAP chairman Boo Cheng Hau said Fernandez should have rung the bishop in Kuala Lumpur or archbishop in other states to discuss the matter before making the calls.

“He should be careful in making statements especially during a time like this, because it would confuse the people,” he said.

He also said in a statement today that the state committee has no power to take any disciplinary action against Fernandez.

“The power to do so lies in the hand of Disciplinary Committee, central committee member and the National Congress,” he said.

Meanwhile, DAP chairman Karpal Singh said that the DAP does not support the call by Fernandez.