MCA: Fernandes a DAP scapegoat

(The Star) – MCA has accused DAP of abusing its disciplinary committee when sanctioning former Johor deputy chairman Norman Fernandez for criticising party leaders, and in turn making him a scapegoat in order to curry favour with PAS.

“When the DAP disciplinary committee decided to probe Fernandez, it proved DAP was defending PAS in implementing hudud,” MCA publicity bureau chairman Datuk Chai Kim Sen said in a statement on Monday

He said the action was “regrettable” and called Fernandez a “DAP member who has political courage”.

According to reports, Fernandez had condemned DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS for betraying the Pakatan Rakyat pledge by allowing PAS to proceed with its implementation of hudud law in April, as the coalition had not agreed on hudud in its common policy framework.

Chai said Fernandez was the only person who had dared to speak up and object to PAS’ move.

“Complaints have been lodged against him, and he is being punished for speaking up and now has to face an inquiry by the disciplinary committee.

“DAP is no longer able to tolerate different voices and it oppresses those who do not share the same view,” said Chai.

He said DAP leaders have taken vague stand on PAS’ hudud, despite telling the non-Muslim community that it was against it.

“It has never taken any concrete steps to lodge an official protest to PAS, nor has DAP stated its stand in Pakatan supreme council meetings, except making Fernandez the sacrificial lamb for speaking up against its partner.

“The disciplinary action against Fernandez not only shows that DAP will not offend PAS for political interests, and is also unable to tell right and wrong,” said Chai.

It was reported that Norman Fernandez had since quit the party with immediate effect after being referred to the disciplinary committee over his comments.

It is learnt that in a private Facebook post which has since been removed, Fernandez criticised several DAP leaders for being hypocrites when they attacked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak over his speech on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), but remained quiet when the PAS president’s son-in-law voiced support for the militant group.

Days before GE13 last year, Fernandez had called on voters to reject PAS, saying that the country could not gamble and risk its future with the Islamist party.