Instead of continuing to grill Selangor speaker Hannah Yeoh, MCA should answer for its president Liow Tiong Lai’s alleged silence over Selangor Umno’s move to table a motion on hudud, said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

“They should be replying to that, because they explain why outside they oppose (the motion), but inside they do not oppose.

“I think this is the bigger question that they would have to answer,” he told a press conference today, when asked to respond to MCA central committee member Ti Lian Ker’ statement this morning.

Ti had said in accepting Umno’s motion on hudud, Yeoh had acted in a manner that is ‘politically correct’ but unconstitutional.

“I would like to point out that being the Selangor state assembly speaker, Hannah Yeoh is under oath to uphold the federal constitution, and hudud law has encroached into the federal government jurisdiction and thus it is unconstitutional.

“Thus, she has failed in her duty to uphold the constitution,” he argued.

Previously, Selangor opposition leader Mohd Samsuddin Lias had claimed that state Umno had briefed Liow on the motion but had raised no objection.

Silence is not golden

He later clarified that MCA was only informed of the motion via email and Liow was not briefed before the motion was submitted to Yeoh’s office.

When asked at a separate press conference this morning, Liow had refused to respond to whether or not he was informed before the motion was submitted.

The  motion urges the Selangor government to conduct a feasibility study on whether hudud can be implemented in Selangor.

Shamsudin had said yesterday that the motion has been withdrawn as it was  causing ‘misunderstanding’ and blamed the Chinese-language media for  the ensuing confusion.

However, Lim said not all the Chinese press should be blamed because some sections of the Chinese media - especially Sinchew Daily - had been supportive of Umno.

“Umno should not blame the Chinese press because there are some sections of the Chinese press - not all - have been supportive (of Umno) in the sense that they say the motion should be rejected, adopting the MCA line,” he said.

He said these dailies have attacked Yeoh “ferociously” for allowing the motion to be debated.

Lim also reiterated the party’s support for Yeoh, saying that she had acted in a neutral and fair manner despite her personal views on hudud, and let the issue be decided by the state assembly.