MCA not against Act 355, says Liow

(AFP) – MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today said that the party did not oppose the PAS’ private bill seeking to empower the Syariah courts.

He said there had been a misunderstanding on MCA’s stand on the matter.

“I think there have been a lot of misunderstandings, saying that we oppose the bill. We just want it to be implemented according to the constitution.

“This is important to maintain the spirit of the constitution of our country. Therefore, when a bill does not follow the spirit of the constitution, we hope it will be corrected,” he added.

Liow said this at a press conference after observing the implementation of vehicle entry permit (VEP) and road charges (RC) at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar — Custom & Immigration Quarantine Complex here today.

When opening the 63rd MCA Annual General Assembly recently, Liow, who is also Transport Minister, was reported to have said that party would oppose the bill because it was deemed to be in conflict with the Federal Constitution and the Federation of Malaya Agreement.

He also said that the Chinese community was deeply disturbed by the bill which was seen to pave the way for the implementation of hudud punishment for criminal offences committed by Muslims.

Meanwhile, in a dialogue with the Chinese Community Associations in a restaurant here today, Liow said the party had established a special committee to conduct a detailed study on the repercussions of implementing Act 355, especially on non-Muslims.