An MCA stalwart has put Umno leaders on the spot over the hudud debate, urging them to end the unilateral decisions and non-committal explanations, and return to BN consensus instead.

"There comes a time when leaders must provide the answers or chart the way forward," said MCA religious harmony bureau chairperson Ti Lian Ker.

He also calls for an end to allowing one race or one religion supremacy over the rest.

"The Malaysian way of moving forward by consensus must be adhered to and no one race or religion should be allowed to take all or win all," Ti said in a statement.

He said this must be based on the spirit of give and take, as well as tolerance and compromises.

"The fears, apprehensions and suspicions of the minorities must be given due consideration and not swept aside.

"The old adage of the rule of the majority with due respect to the minorities must be practised," said Ti.

He also warned that the gathering storm against Umno in BN over hudud was no mere storm in a teacup.

"For the very first time in BN history, Umno has been taken to task publicly not by one component party but practically all components in the ruling BN."

"A political accord was struck between Umno and PAS but a political discord was also created from within BN.

"Umno has always singled out individual component parties but this time around it seems to be singled out by its partners," he said.

Ti also said that although Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak attempted to appease BN partners by saying that Hadi's bill was not hudud, it was not fooling anyone.

He pointed out that Hadi's bill was actually a preliminary step towards the introduction of the PAS adaptation of the religious law in Kelantan, which may open the doors for similar legislation in other states.

However, Ti praised proponents on both sides of the hudud debate for treading carefully around the sensitive issue without political rhetoric or posturing.

"Credit must be given to them for their maturity in handling this highly emotive issue of the right to implement one's religious obligations and the interpretations of the the Federal Constitution which is the supreme law of the land."

"This time around, it is praiseworthy that cool tempers and rational minds took the limelight instead of the circus and clowns of yore," he said.

Ti suggests that the country's current leaders must take stock and show leadership, as both the pros and cons in the hudud debate have been put forth meticulously and rationally.

He praised former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for providing such leadership when there was anxiety over calls to continue the New Economic Policy (NEP) that was ending in 1990.

Ti said that Mahathir had cleverly diffused the tensions over the NEP by forming the National Economic Consultative Council that sought national consensus on the matter.

He added that it was time that the curent national leaders step up to the plate and follow in Mahathir's footsteps.