MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu warned that the charge against PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu may reflect badly on the government and its proposed reforms.

"Resorting to the courts may shed a negative light on the government.

NONE “It also allows the opposition to spread cynicism on the goodwill of Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak) has generated by the Malaysia Day eve reforms pledge , especially the abolition of the Internal Security Act," he said in a statement today that appears to break ranks with his counterparts in Umno.

Mohamad Sabu, more popularly known as Mat Sabu, was charged on Wednesday for criminal defamation after challenging the official accounts of the 1950 Bukit Kepong incident during a speech on Aug 21.

Gan, who is also deputy youth and sports minister, said he was puzzled that a decision was made to charge Mat Sabu rather than engaging him in dialogue.

"While I do not agree with Mohamad Sabu's historical perspective, I am equally puzzled by the decision to charge the PAS deputy president for criminal defamation under the Penal Code.

"Doing so only serves to elicit sympathy for him and the Pakatan Rakyat.

"Historical controversies ought to be resolved through level-headed debates and academic research."

Mat Sabu 'self-serving'

Gan's comments were in contrast to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein's who had earlier this month called on the police to expedite their investigation of Mat Sabu and urged those offended by the comments to take legal action.

On the day of Mat Sabu's charge, Hishammuddin had in a posting on Twitter wrote, "Mat Sabu - no matter how smart a squirrel jumps, it will eventually fall to the ground."

Despite the opposite stance, Gan had few kind words for Mat Sabu, accusing him of making the comments on the Bukit Kepong incident for "self-serving political considerations".

"Mohamad Sabu and his coterie of supporters should have been allowed to continue making a fool of themselves. The public is certainly more discerning and historically-aware than they had thought."