MCA president Liow Tiong Lai claims the opposition were willing to sideline national security in pursuit of personal or political gains.

Liow said this when referring to PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar's meeting with Sulu princess Jacel Kiram, the daughter of the self-proclaimed Sultan Jamalul Kiram III who ordered an armed intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah, in 2013.

He said this when met at a press conference after launching a seminar on ‘National security and the threats from Islamic State (IS)' at Wisma MCA, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, today.

Although Nurul Izzah has apologised over her meeting with the princess, the damage has been done, said Liow. adding that the role of a leader is pivotal, especially in fighting threats to national security.

"As such, all leaders including from the opposition should act in the fight and threat against national security and extremists," he said.

The Nurul Izzah-Jacel meeting had angered the people of Sabah and family members of those who were killed in the Lahad Datu incident, to the extent that the Sabah state assembly on Nov 26, passed a motion to bar PKR vice-president Tian Chua and Nurul Izzah from entering the state.

On Nov 9, Jacel had uploaded four photographs of her meeting with Nurul Izzah in her Facebook account, which drew the ire of various quarters in the country.

Nurul Izzah was also referred to the Parliamentary rights and privileges committee over the matter.

Speaking of the IS threat, Liow said seminars related to the IS threat or threat to national security would be expanded to states and districts starting January by MCA since the IS ideology has been spreading among those using the social media.

"According to police sources, there are about 50,000 sympathizers of this IS group in this country, this situation is too dangerous if there is many or at least one percent from the figure turn to radical and thus attack the country," he said.

The closed-door seminar was also attended by Bukit Aman Special Branch's research and secretariat division principal assistant director, Rosli Abas, and Bukit Aman Special Branch counter terrorism division senior assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay who is also Bukit Aman counter-terrorism division chief.

- Bernama