MCA Youth has reacted strongly to a Umno Youth warning to stop declaring Malaysia's secular status, countering that the party's relationship with other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties is "not one of master and slave".

The Sin Chew Daily today quoted MCA Youth chief Liow Tiong Lai as "warning" leaders of BN parties that MCA reserves the right to retaliate against any disrespectful remarks against the party.

"All component parties are equal partners and if any BN leader blatantly issues this or that warning, then MCA can reciprocate," he said without directly naming Umno.

"There will be no peace in BN if leaders of component parties continue to issue public warnings to one another."

On Saturday, Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein ( photo ) ordered MCA to end its campaign to declare the nation's secular status, following Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's controversial claim that Malaysia "has always been an Islamic state".

However, top MCA leaders have ignored the warning.

MCA vice-president Ong Tee Keat said the party has a right to express its opinions and views on any national issue.

"Under the Federal Constitution, MCA has even the right to defend its position and these rights cannot be denied by anyone," he added.

MCA Federal Territory liaison chief Tan Chai Ho described the statements as "destructive and extremist", and said Hishammuddin's warning was a "stab in the back" for the Chinese Malaysian party.

Last Thursday, all media outlets were ordered to stop reporting the debate on the matter, ostensibly because this could cause "tensions" and because "Islam is a sensitive issue".

However, the internal security ministry said they were free to report the views of the prime minister and his deputy on this matter.