Kedah executive councillor Dr Leong Yong Kong should not have quit MCA in protest of the Hudud Bill as he should have stood together with the party to face the challenges.

MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon said Leong should not shirk from his duties and opted for the easy way out.

“At this point, when MCA and other (BN) component parties are standing together to defend the federal constitution, Leong should not run away from his duties.

“It is not the time for an emotional walkout.

“The easiest way is to give up. Giving up is not a heroic action. A real hero stands and fight,” Chong said at a press conference after he officiated the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Fair 2016 in Cheras today.

Yesterday, Leong (photo) announced that he had quit MCA in protest over the Hudud Bill controversy and accused Umno of failing to safeguard the federal constitution.

He added that MCA has failed to defend the constitution and the rights of the people.

“MCA no longer has the respect of Umno as a member of BN... So I will leave MCA until there is new development on this issue,” he said yesterday.

However, he said that he would not leave his government position as he is not the one in the wrong.

On Thursday, the Dewan Rakyat, at the last sitting day for the latest parliamentary session, was slated to debate the controversial Private Member’s Bill tabled by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

The bill was unprecedentedly bumped up in the debate list by the House speaker. However, this was postponed after Hadi requested for more time to be given to MPs to prepare for the debate.

The move prompted immediate backlash from various BN component parties, with MCA, MIC, Gerakan and SUPP holding a press conference to oppose the Hudud Bill.

Najib later said that the uproar was a misunderstanding and that Hadi’s bill was not a hudud bill.

The Private Member’s Bill only seeks to amend the syariah law and enhance the punishments that can be meted out by the syariah courts, he explained.

Is Hadi's bill about hudud punishments?