Wanita MCA chief Heng Seai Kie has expressed surprise that controversial academic Ridhuan Tee Abdullah was once a lifetime member of the party.

At the same time, she is relieved that he has decided to quit MCA.

“Otherwise, having an extremist and racist figure like him could render the party in the aftermath of ‘api dalam sekam’, that is, Malay proverb meaning malice that is carried out clandestinely, which will be a real shame to MCA, BN and the whole nation,” she said.

After having read his excuses for quitting MCA, Heng said Ridhuan was not fit to identify himself as a MCA member despite having joined the party 16 years ago.

“He does not even comprehend the vision and mission of MCA, which is, in the words of our founder Tan Cheng Lock, ‘to help, in cooperation with the Malays and other communities, the development of the process of making the whole of Malaya one country, one people and one government.’

“As one of the three BN component parties which fought for Malaya’s independence and the formation and development of the nation, MCA, together with Umno and MIC have jointly pledged to uphold and safeguard the values of moderation, justice, unity and harmony.

“In short, we believe in the spirit of 1Malaysia and will not tolerate any type of extremism which will jeopardise the supremacy of the Federal Constitution and the nation’s formation,” she added in a media statement.

Therefore, Heng dismissed Ridhuan’s accusations against MCA as baseless and amusing.

Apart from branding him as having been a non-exemplary member of MCA, she also described him as a bad example of a Muslim.

Ridhuan had quit MCA after accusing the BN component party of being anti-Islam due to its objection towards the Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016.

However, Heng disagreed, arguing that MCA has always respected Islam as the religion of the federation and recognised the rights of other religions to practise in harmony as provided in Article 3 of the Federal Constitution.

She also said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill violated the spirit of the Federal Constitution.