It would be disastrous if BN anchor party Umno decides to move unilaterally on amendments to Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 without input from coalition partners, said MCA.

MCA religious harmony bureau chief Ti Lian Ker said this in response to Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's announcement that government will take over PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's private member's bill to amend the Act.

"We will not speculate on the proposed amendments that has been taken over by BN. We shall wait for further and better particulars before commenting further.

"Any differences shall be ironed out in the BN spirit of consensus building unless the people or Umno no longer subscribe to this spirit of consensus building under the BN practice or convention.

"If that is so... this would spell oncoming disaster for the future harmony of the nation," he said in a statement today.