MCA slams DAP MP for stirring the pot over PAS’s gambling stance

Two MCA leaders, Chong Sin Woon and Mike Chong, have responded to DAP's Kampar MP Chong Zhemin for attempting to involve their party in PAS's gambling issue. Chong Sin Woon, the MCA secretary-general, criticized Zhemin for his frequent confrontations with the MCA, urging him to reflect before questioning MCA over remarks from PAS.

PAS ulama council information chief Nor Hamzah had called upon Muslim voters to assist the Islamic party in achieving federal power to eradicate gambling, following the Federal Court's rejection of the Kedah government's attempt to overturn the ruling that prevented them from discontinuing permits for pool betting and lottery operators.

Sin Woon emphasized that federal government policies necessitate Cabinet approval, not the views of any individual party or leader, and urged Kampar (Zhemin) not to falsely claim ignorance by attempting to drag MCA and MIC into this matter. Mike Chong, MCA Youth deputy chief, advised that PAS leaders' statements should be considered in a mature context, noting that individual religious beliefs do not automatically translate into national policy.

He stressed that any alteration to national policy should be a collective decision by the parties comprising the government, considering the Federal Constitution, existing legislation, the interests of all communities, and public opinion. Chong also questioned why Zhemin had directed his inquiry specifically at MCA and MIC, asserting that whenever a PAS leader expresses an opinion, DAP should not immediately attempt to involve MCA and MIC as if the PAS leader's viewpoint had already become government policy.