MCA leaders: If our president quits, we will leave too

KUALA LUMPUR: More MCA leaders, including deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, will be resigning from their government posts if the Syariah Act amendment Bill is passed.

“As Cabinet members and leaders of MCA, we hold ourselves accountable in the quest to uphold the principle of moderation in Malaysia. We have the duty and obligation to express our strongest opposition to the Bill.

“Hence, we will relinquish our ministerial positions should the Bill be passed in the Dewan Rakyat,” Dr Wee said in a statement yesterday.

Earlier on Saturday, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai was the first to express his desire to resign as Transport Minister if the Bill tabled by PAS was passed in Parliament.

Both party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan and vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said they would follow Liow’s move.

“We are with the president. Whatever decision he makes, we will back him up. It is not him only that resigns,’’ Ong said.

“He will not be the only one to make such a decision and face it alone. All of us are with him,” he added.

MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon also said he would “follow suit without question” if the top leaders were to resign.

Both Ong and Chew spoke to reporters after a special briefing over the controversial Bill was held for party members at the MCA headquarters yesterday morning.

Liow, however, said the issue was “more than just resigning”.

“More importantly is that we can stand together to oppose the Bill and to protect our Federal Constitution,” he said.

Meanwhile, between now and October, when the Bill will be debated during the next Parliament meeting, MCA will launch a campaign against the implementation of hudud.