An MCA leader has explained that his party is opposing the PAS rally because it aims to whip up religious sentiment, which can sow the seeds of discord in a multiracial and multi-religious nation.

“We are not objecting to their right to hold a gathering. We are objecting to the subject matter of the gathering, which we believe can cause division in the nation.

“Furthermore, we are merely challenging the legality and constitutionality of the move to allow PAS' hudud to be enforceable via an amendment to Act 355,” MCA central committee member Ti Lian Ker told Malaysiakini.

In a media statement issued earlier, Ti responded to Culture and Tourism Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, who said MCA cannot prevent the Feb 18 rally as it is PAS' democratic right to hold it.

Noting the existence of laws against security threats, the MCA leader said the Umno minister should be aware this rally is grounded on religion and would undermine peaceful co-existence.

“What guarantees can PAS assure that the rally will not be incited into an emotional fervour with political frenzy against opponents of PAS hudud enactments?” he asked.

Ti, who heads the MCA religious harmony bureau, stressed that the party does not oppose Islam and respects Islam as the religion of the federation as granted in the Federal Constitution.

“Nevertheless, MCA will oppose any legislation or long term intentions that intend to derail the Federal Constitution, the supreme law of the land,” he added.

As a lawyer and a lawmaker, Ti said, Nazri should know better that the proposed tweaks, which will formally enable the implementation of state hudud enactments, would reduce the testimony weightage of non-Muslims and women, including Muslim women, thereby contravening Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which ensures equality before the law.

“Nazri seems to have short-term memory that it was BN parties that opposed Bersih in holding a rally aimed at toppling the democratically-elected prime minister and BN government.

“Likewise, MCA, like Umno, had opposed the preceding Bersih rallies that descended into violence, and Bersih 4, which mocked images of our prime minister,” he added.

Noting how Nazri had claimed that public rallies could attract tourists, Ti asked: “Will travellers be attracted to make a beeline for Malaysia if our nation is to end up like the Taliban regime in Afghanistan or the chaotic and repressive blood-thirsty Islamic State in swathes of Syria and Iraq?”