Liow Tiong Lai Defends Najib?

OK, I completely missed this earlier. On 17th July 2007, after our Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak unilaterally declared that "we are an Islamic state... we have never, never been secular", the Sun took a comment from the MCA Youth Chief, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai:

Najib's statement that Malaysia is an Islamic should not be taken literally but in a general sense that it is an Islamic country, where the majority of the population is Muslim.

Umm... so are we, or are not a secular country? And if we are indeed a secular country as defined in our Federal Constitution, what are you going to do about it? Will you heed the warning by your counterpart, UMNO Youth Chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein? Or will you continue to "fudge" the issue as per the above?

At least the MCA secretary-general, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan attempted to defend the secular nature of our Federal Consitution before the ban was imposed on the media by the Internal Security Ministry, and by UMNO Youth on MCA leaders.

MCA Youth has also just released a statement on their website that they are "disturbed with the outburst" by UMNO Youth Chief Dato’ Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. (So, what are you going to do about it?)

It also states that:

MP for Kota Melaka and MCA Central Committee member, YB Wong Nai Chee reiterated that MCA has made our stand abundantly clear and we have nothing more to add. Wong added that we don’t intend to engage in public outcry.

I have 2 problems with the statement:

1. No where in the statement by MCA Youth was it stated in absolute clarity that Malaysia is a secular state. If such a position is so "abundantly clear", then it must be reiterated. Otherwise there is an obvious lack of sincerity.
   
   
2. Since Mahathir pronounced Malaysia as a "Islamic country" in the 929 incident, the secular nature of the country has come under increasing threat. Wong's (and MCA's) policy of not engaging "in public outcry", as they have done since 929, has clearly failed. UMNO hegemony is now absolute.
   

I can only conclude that MCA is clearly losing its legitimacy firstly, as a governing party, and secondly, as a integral component party within Barisan Nasional.

For goodness sake, you will note that all official statements from MCA is only made by junior backbenchers and unelected representatives. What is the position of the MCA President, the Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers, as well as the Parliamentary Secretaries? Are they all dumb? (yes, pun absolutely intended). Do they serve the rakyat or do they serve their UMNO masters?

And the President of MCA has the cheek to proclaim in the Star today for the rakyat to "Count on MCA". What an absolute disgrace.