It is regrettable to see that the DAP disciplinary committee is being abused by its party to sanction its Johor DAP deputy chairperson Norman Fernandez for alleged inappropriate remarks, in order to curry favour with PAS.

According to news reports, Fernandez had condemned DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS for betraying the Pakatan Rakyat pledge by allowing PAS to go ahead to implement hudud law in April since the coalition had not agreed on hudud in its common policy framework.

Fernandez is a DAP member who has political courage. When the party is so afraid of objecting to hudud, he was the only person who dared to oppose it and today, complaints have been lodged against him, and he is being punished for speaking up as he now has to face an inquiry by the disciplinary committee. Obviously, DAP is no longer able to tolerate different voices and that it must oppress those who do not share the same view.

When the DAP disciplinary committee decided to probe Fernandez, this has already proven that DAP is defending PAS in implementing hudud.

DAP leaders have decided to take a vague stand on the hudud issue. It has been telling the non-Muslim community that it is against it but it has never taken any concrete steps to lodge an official protest to PAS nor has DAP stated its stand in the Pakatan supreme council meetings except making Fernandez the sacrificial lamb for speaking up against its partner.

The disciplinary action against Fernandez not only shows that DAP would not offend PAS for political interest and that it is also unable to tell right and wrong.

SENATOR CHAI KIM SEN is MCA Publicity Bureau chairperson and MCA deputy national organising secretary.