Poor administration plays a part too, not just hudud

Press Statement by MCA Kedah Chairman Dato' Chong Itt Chew

Poor administration plays a part too, not just hudud

DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh has gotten it wrong when he warned PAS to stop bringing up their stand or give contradictory positions on hudud law as it will dampen Pakatan's efforts to win the federal government. While hudud and PAS' hardline policies are indeed a major factor for concern among the electorates, it is not the only one.

It is not merely about what PAS says or their aspirations which are worrisome for Malaysians, but the very fact that they are able to go around implementing their theocratic agenda on Muslims and non-Muslims alike in all four of the Pakatan-held states while their non-Muslims comrades in both DAP and PKR continue to keep silent which is another main source of concern.

PAS' blatant disregard for non-Muslims

In Kedah, the PAS state government obviously disregards DAP and PKR with the implementation of a steering committee, comprising of PAS members who are non-Kedahans, to oversee the administration of the state. How much more blatant can PAS continue to be while DAP keeps quiet? This is unfair to the people of Kedah, who had entrusted their elected representatives to run the state, and not some committee from PAS!

Besides that, the destruction of the sole pork abbatoir in Kedah, and forcing unmarried men and women to sit or to line up separately Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor are also signs of DAP's ineffectiveness in defying PAS nor protecting non-Muslim rights. Not to mention other transgressions against non-Muslims such as banning licenced betting, alcohol, and making it difficult for entertainment outlets to get their permits and imposing prohibitions on cultural events like mak yong, wayang kulit and tomoi.

While PAS may continue to warn non-Muslims to stay out of the hudud issue as it does not affect them, it is certain that whatever policies imposed by PAS will affect everyone, Muslims or not, and as such MCA has a right to be vocal over this. Even DAP Klang agrees that an Islamic state will affect nation's image at global level as evident in their protest yesterday. I only hope that those 600 DAP grassroot leaders will not face dire consequences from their party, such as sacking or gag orders for speaking out, as DAP is so often fond of doing.

PAS-led states are evidence of inefficient management

We have also seen the incapabilities of PAS in administering a state government, as evident in Kelantan's inability to deliver water to their people, and the fact that Kelantan is still the poorest state in Malaysia. Therefore, it is not just PAS hudud which proves Pakatan unworthy of power, but their lack of efficiency as well.

We in Kedah can already testify to many problems by PAS such as widespread uncontrolled logging in forest reserves, 50% quota on housing policies which do not favour non-Bumiputera, the lack of transparency in handing out tenders for the RM 500 million Aman Central development project, and the latest being the purchase of a luxury car for the Kedah Menteri Besar. Thus, enforcing hudud are only part of the concerns which MCA is focusing on, but it is by no means the sole criteria.

Hence, Karpal got it wrong when he assumed that contradictory stands from PAS will stymie Pakatan's chances of securing federal administration. The combination of factors as outlined above discourages the public from voting PAS.

Dato' Chong Itt Chew
MCA Kedah Chairman

-MCA online-

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