MCA president Liow Tiong Lai has refused to comment on Pahang mufti Abdul Rahman Osman’s controversial statement branding DAP as ‘kafir harbi’.

“I’ll reserve my comments for later,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur when asked to comment on the issue for the second time today.

He was speaking at a press conference after launching the Malaysian Young Farmers Cooperative annual general meeting.

Initially, when asked to comment on Abdul Rahman’s statement for the first time at the press conference, Liow declined to answer the question, and asked for further questions to be focused on the event, instead of politics.

Previously, an Utusan Malaysia article had quoted the mufti saying that DAP members are 'kafir harbi', and it was a cardinal sin to cooperate with the party that has been vocal in opposing the implementation of Islamic penal code hudud.

The mufti later clarified the label did not apply to DAP alone, but to any infidel that purportedly opposed Islam.

This was in relation to PAS’ plan to implement hudud law in Kelantan.

The term 'kafir harbi' refers to non-Muslims who are at war with Islam, and the killing of such persons is considered permissible.

The mufti's critics pointed out his claim implies BN parties that oppose the implementation of hudud, such as MCA and MIC, would also be considered 'kafir harbi'.

Mah Siew Keong, president of Gerakan, whose Youth leaders had taken PAS to court over the latter's plans to implement hudud, today gave a guarded response, saying he "disagreed" with the mufti.

Meanwhile, on another issue, Liow said MCA respected Umno’s decision to sack former deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin and former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir from Umno.

He said this was Umno’s internal party matter, and hence MCA would not intervene.

“Besides that, as we are all aware, discipline is of the utmost importance to any party.

“The same applies for MCA. If anyone breaks the party’s rules and discipline, then disciplinary action would be taken,” he said.

The two Umno dissidents had been sacked for openly questioning party president Najib Abdul Razak’s leadership, especially in relation to the RM2.6 billion political donation that he supposedly received. Attorney-general Mohd Apandi Ali had cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.

As for rumours of a cabinet reshuffle in the coming week, Liow said these were merely to do with vacancies to be filled.

Several cabinet members such as ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Wahid Omar, Idris Jala, and Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, have vacated their posts after the expiry of their appointments as senators.

To a question whether a snap election was on the cards, Liow said that was the prime minister’s prerogative.