With the Dewan Negara scheduled to debate the controversial National Security Council (NSC) bill tomorrow, the stance of the MCA on the proposed legislation remains murky.

When queried today, MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon evaded making a direct answer and instead asked the media to follow the debate on the bill at the upper house tomorrow.

"The MCA presidential council and our senators have met (to discuss the NSC bill). We will voice MCA's stand during Monday's debate.

Our respective senators will present MCA's stand during the debate and we have also brought this to the cabinet," the deputy education minister told journalists in Kepong this morning.

Pressed for whether MCA will vote for or against the bill, Chong again told journalists to wait for tomorrow's debate.

Asked if MCA will allow its senators to vote according to their conscience, he repeated his earlier reply.

As part of the government, Chong cannot take part in the NSC debate, the convention being that all ministers and deputy ministers are bound by the cabinet's collective stance with no individual opinions allowed.

The NSC bill has generated much dissent amongst civil society organisations which fear that it will grant the prime minister wide powers to declare a certain location as a 'security area' and then arrest and detain at whim without oversight.

Critics further argue that the bill grants the government almost dictatorial powers at the expense of civil liberties safeguarded by the constitution, under the pretext of maintaining peace.

The government on the other hand argues that such expedient measures are vital to enable it to respond speedily and without encumbrances to contain an emergency situation before it develops into a full-blown armed conflagration.