The continuing debacle between MCA and Umno ministers over whether cabinet discussed the issue of Kelantan's hudud enactment is set to drag on, with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Wee Ka Siong insisting discussion did take place.

Wee today pointed to cabinet minutes in response to Sports and Youth Minister Khairy Jamaluddin's ( left ) statements over the weekend that cabinet did not discuss the matter and that MCA had not objected at the weekly meetings.

"According to Khairy, cabinet on April 3 did not discuss hudud. Of course we did not discuss, because you cannot expect the cabinet to discuss hudud every week.

"But if you said cabinet never discussed the hudud issue, it is not true," said Wee at a press conference today.

He said cabinet had discussed the hudud issue three times - on December 17, 2014, March 20 and 27, 2015.

"According to cabinet records on December 17, 2014, from page 89 until page 95, it is clearly recorded that cabinet had discussed the hudud issue," he said.

Kelantan's tabling of the enactment at state level was postponed due to the floods, said Wee, until it was passed on March 19.

"On the same day BN component party chiefs had a meeting and they had expressed their stand on the hudud issue to BN chief Najib Razak," he added.

Wee also cited cabinet minutes of March 20 (pages 108 to 116) and March 27 (pages 39 to 45) that he claimed recorded discussions on hudud.

 

"I must put it clearly that MCA opposes hudud starting from the time of former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad until Najib's era.

"It is grossly unfair to say MCA did not oppose hudud. Of course we did not discuss it on April 3, you cannot expect cabinet discuss the same matter every week," he stressed.

However Wee said the contents of the minutes could not be disclosed as it was confidential.

 

On the Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz statement that cabinet did not discussed hudud bill on March 27 , Wee emphasised that Nazri responded to the hudud “bill” not the hudud “issue”.

 

He said hudud bill and hudud issue were two different matters. 

“Nazri said the bill was not discussed in the cabinet. As a former law minister, he should know,” said Wee.

 

Wee stressed that Nazri never said the cabinet did not discuss the hudud issue on March 27.

 

Asked on the Najib’s position on hudud, Wee said that he believed Najib will use his own wisdom to decide when to  announce it.

 

Nevertheless, he also urged the BN chief to issue his statement as quickly as possible to refute all allegations by the Opposition.

 

“MCA feels that this issue should not be delayed any more. BN as well as Umno stand’s on hudud needs to be expressed as quickly as possible,” asserted Wee.

DAP: Who's lying then?

The question of BN and cabinet's stand on Kelantan's hudud enactment and PAS' Private Member's Bill in Parliament to put the enactment into action has eluded the public since the enactment was passed unanimously at state level by PAS and BN Kelantan assemblypersons.

The day after the March 20 cabinet meeting, Transport Minister and MCA president Liow Tiong Lai claimed most of the cabinet members were against hudud because it is against the federal constitution, and said Najib would issue a statement that day.

Weeks later, the PM still has not issued a single statement on the matter, while Umno ministers continue to claim they support hudud.

At present, Khairy and two other Umno ministers, Minister for International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamed and Tourism Minister Nazri Aziz have contradicted MCA saying cabinet did not discuss the issue.

Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had even told MCA and Gerakan not to interfere with hudud implementation.

Earlier today, DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok asked who was telling the truth on the matter.

"It is either the three Umno ministers or Liow ( left ) who did not tell the truth," said Kok in a statement.

She called for MCA to show proof of their claims.

"With three Umno ministers virtually calling Liow a liar, he and his deputy Wee Ka Siong cannot choose to run away from the issue.

"There are two options for these two MCA ministers who have tried to portray themselves as principled and courageous heroes who will fight against hudud implementation.

"They must produce proof that the cabinet did discuss hudud bill as claimed, or they must resign from the cabinet for having lied to the people.

"They must also prove that if the bill was discussed, they did state their clear and strong stand of opposing hudud implementation," said Kok.