Liow: I will resign if Bill passed

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pic) dropped a bombshell on Saturday saying he will resign from the Cabinet if PAS’ Private Member’s Bill is passed in Parliament.

“I’m trying to stop it. I’m trying to get all the component parties to stop it. I am urging both sides of the political divide to come together and stop this Bill,’’ the Transport Minister told The Star.

“If we cannot do it, we will have to sacrifice. I will resign.

“No point for me to stay on anymore, you know. I have to be very firm on this. I was thinking of saying this in the press conference yesterday (Friday),” Liow said.

But Liow hopes it does not have to come to that, as he called on parties from both sides of the political divide to vote down the Bill, which was tabled in Parliament by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on Thursday.

On Friday, Liow in a joint statement with three presidents of Barisan’s component members, voiced displeasure that the Bill was brought forward in Parliament over other Government matters and that it was not discussed within the Cabinet or the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council.

“I’m not going to talk about it (MCA in Barisan) yet. I think stopping the Bill now is more important than showing emotion.

“You have to talk in the Barisan spirit and using the force within Barisan to get this Bill stopped,” he said.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said moved a motion to push Hadi’s Bill up the Standing Order’s list.

The Bill was earlier listed as No.15 or the last item on the Standing Order.

However, Hadi had requested that the Bill will only be debated at the next Parliament meeting in October.

The Bill seeks to amend Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) 2016 to allow the Kelantan PAS state government to impose Syariah punishment for crimes, except death sentences.

The punishment apparently only applies to Muslims in Kelantan.