The MCA has taken offence at remarks by a DAP lawmaker saying MCA will be “finished off” if Chinese schools are closed down following a debate on the issue planned for the coming Umno annual general assembly.

Hitting back at the remarks expressed by Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik yesterday, MCA publicity chairperson Chai Kim Sen said likewise, the Chinese community must “terminate” DAP if PAS implements hudud in Kelantan.

“It was DAP that persuaded the Chinese voters to let down their guard to vote for PAS, saying 'a vote for PAS is equivalent to a vote for DAP'.

“In the end, after the general election, PAS wants to force its way through for hudud and even challenged DAP to leave Pakatan. But DAP could only keep mum throughout,” Chan ( left ), who is also a senator, said in a statement.

“As much as DAP cannot interfere with the debate on hudud during the PAS muktamar, no BN component party can stop or interfere with a particular topic that will be debated during the Umno AGM, but we can express our views, and stop a certain policy at its formulation stage through the cabinet,” Chan said.

Yesterday, Ng said Malaysians should rise and end the MCA in the coming general election, for the party would not be relevant anymore for failing to protect the interests of the Chinese community at large.

Ng questioned what other roles the MCA could play if it failed in its mission to protect Chinese schools, or defend the rights of the Chinese community as a whole.

'We have ministers now'

Ng’s remarks came in the wake of Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein’s revelation that out of 755 items submitted by the party’s 191 divisions, the debate on Chinese schools versus single-stream schools is one of the issues that will dominate the party’s AGM this year.

Chan gave his assurance to Ng that MCA has all it takes to defend the existence and status of Chinese vernacular schools, saying Umno must lend its ears to views from its fellow allies in the spirit of BN.

He said MCA had never shirked in its duty to protect Chinese education, not even when the party had no representative at all in the Ministry of Education this time around.

He also said MCA president Liow Tiong  Lai and deputy Wee Ka Siong would never cease to be of service to Chinese education through cabinet channels.

“So long as MCA exists, no Chinese school will be closed down. But sadly, DAP has no guts to stand up to PAS, insofar as hudud is concerned,” Chan said.

“Instead of criticising MCA, Ng should ensure that hudud will not be made a reality by its fellow Pakatan partner, PAS, or risk eating back his words that PAS is only interested in a 'welfare state’,” the MCA deputy national organising secretary added.