MCA president Liow Tiong Lai has defended the party secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan’s disclosure of discussions in a cabinet meeting, amid criticism from other cabinet colleagues.

Liow, who is also the transport minister, said Ong was merely telling the truth to clarify matters.

“Ong was defending the truth, so that people understand the issue [...] According to Ong, he was ensuring that the truth is known.

“What is true will always be true. The truth can’t be faked, the fake cannot be the truth,” he said when met at the World Economic Forum on Asean in Kuala Lumpur today.

Asked whether he approves of Ong’s actions, Liow reiterated that Ong was merely doing the necessary.

“Questions had been raised, so it has become a crucial matter.

“People accuse us of approving (of allowing the ‘hudud’ bill to be debated in Parliament) in the cabinet, so Ong had to give a clear explanation,” he said

Liow echoed Ong’s statement that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill was never discussed in the May 20 cabinet meeting.

However, he declined to discuss what transpired during the meeting, and instead reiterated that MCA is against hudud.

He also declined to comment on whether MCA and Gerakan would be meeting Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to discuss the hudud issue.

“There is no need for us to disclose this to the public,” he said

On the last day of the previous parliamentary session, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said moved to debate Hadi’s private member’s bill. The motion on May 26 was seconded by Deputy Works Minister Rosnah Abdulrashid Shirlin.

This caused an uproar amongst several BN component parties, with MCA, MIC, Gerakan and SUPP saying that the matter was never discussed in the cabinet nor the BN supreme council.

A letter from UPKO acting president Madius Tangau to Najib was also circulated on social media. The letter alluded to a cabinet discussion on the hudud issue on May 20.

Ong, who is the second international trade and industry minister, admitted yesterday that the hudud issue was informally raised in cabinet, but said there was no discussion on the matter.

He also reiterated that the cabinet did not approve allowing Hadi’s private member’s bill to take precedence over government business in parliament.

However, Ong’s disclosure was criticised by Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob.

“I don’t understand these ministers who are commenting on matters discussed by the cabinet. You have taken an oath of secrecy, so keep the secrets.

“Why do you want to mention things discussed by the cabinet? If everyone wants to talk about what was discussed, it could lead to chaos for us (the government) outside,” he said.