The motion on Syariah Courts (Criminal Juridiction) Act 1965 or Act 355 tabled by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday has sparked a war of words between MCA and DAP.

MCA claimed that two of its lawmakers were vocal against Act 355 when PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan gave his speech in support of the motion, while none of the DAP lawmakers stood up to oppose.

"Although MCA has only three backbenchers, two MCA parliamentarians - Tebrau MP Khoo Soo Siang and Alor Gajah MP Koh Nai Kwong stood their ground and challenged PAS' motion by throwing questions at him.

"DAP has 36 MPs but were silent or nowhere to be seen. Where were they?" said MCA in the social media yesterday.

Takiyuddin delivered his seconder speech after Hadi tabled the motion on amendments which seek to raise the punishment cap for syariah offences to 30 years' jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the cane.

The current syariah punishment cap is three years’ imprisonment, RM5,000 fine and six strokes of the cane.

Khoo, who interjected during Takiyuddin's speech, said the non-Muslim community viewed Hadi's motion as a violation of the Federal Constitution, while Koh (photo) asked whether it went against Article 8 of the constitution on the issue of equality before law.

MCA youth chief Chong Sin Woon also claimed that none of the DAP lawmakers spoke up in the Dewan Rakyat during the proceeding.

"Both Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng were not even in the House," said Chong in his Facebook account.

Netizens, however rebutted MCA, claiming that Kit Siang and his colleague Gobind Singh Deo, had tried to block Hadi from tabling the motion even before the Marang MP read it out.

'Subramaniam was more honest'

Meanwhile, DAP's Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching has accused the MCA deputy president of lying for stating that MCA was in the dark on whether Hadi's motion would be debated, as reported by Chinese daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh.

"Wee Ka Siong, (you) need to think of how to cover your lies when you have lied. Incompetency is more despicable," she said in the social media.

"There was still 12 government bills listed (in the parliamentary's order paper) as of April 4, the second last day of current Parliament session. Hadi's motion was listed item 13 on the order paper. Logically thinking, it was not possible to be brought up for debate," she elaborated.

But the House sat from 10am on April 6 to 5am on April 7, and had passed six bills and the government deferred another six bills, Teo added.

"On April 7, Hadi's motion became the first item listed on the order paper."

"Not conspiracy? Why retract the six bills? [...] Could it be the Parliament planned to adjourn the sitting by 12pm after the question-and-answer session between 10am and 12pm (on April 7)?" she asked.

Teo said MIC president Dr S Subramaniam, who admitted the bill would be tabled but not debated, was more "honest" by admitting that BN parties knew that Hadi's motion would be tabled in Dewan Rakyat, but the House would not debate it.

"He said it was a decision made during the BN supreme council meeting recently," she added.

Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah president Joseph Kurup also admitted that BN arrived at a consensus that Hadi's proposal to amend Act 355 would not be debated, she said.

"Is Wee trying to tell us that both Subramaniam and Joseph were lying, while he was the only honest government officer?" she asked.