Kedah exco member Leong Yong Kong has retracted his resignation from MCA.

Leong has initially resigned from MCA in protest over what he said was the party’s failure to stop Putrajaya’s support of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member's Bill.

Leong in a statement said he made the decision after witnessing the MCA leadership’s commitment and other BN component parties in opposing the bill.

“Coupled with urgings from the party grassroots in the past week for me to rejoin the line-up and support the MCA president and central committee in defending the federal constitution, I have decided to withdraw my decision to quit the party,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Leong said after his announcement to quit the party on May 27, MCA president Liow Tiong Lai had assured that the party would remain firm against the Hudud Bill.

“The MCA president also courageously stated publicly that the prime minister had made a grave error (in supporting the bill) and it is not simply a misunderstanding while the MCA other BN components have shown great resolve in this matter,” he said.

Previous, Kedah Menteri Besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah had asked that Leong go on leave to rethink his resignation from MCA.

BN component parties were taken by surprise last Thursday when the government prioritised Abdul Hadi’s bill.

Liow said Umno did not consult BN on the matter and have since rallied the coalition’s component parties against the Bill.

At least four ministers, including Liow, MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong, MIC president S Subramaniam and Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong have threatened to resign if the bill was passed.

SUPP and Upko have also issued statements against the bill.

Hadi’s bill is officially named the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016.

It is referred to as the ‘Hudud Bill’ as it would ultimately pave the way for the partial implementation of the Islamic penal code, specifically in PAS-ruled Kelantan, which has already passed an enactment to that effect.

For example, the punishment using the rotan under the enactment ranges from 40 to 100 strokes.

However, the Kelantan state enactment cannot be implemented as long as restrictions exist that limit punishments meted out by the syariah court.

Hadi’s bill seeks to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or Act 355, which limits the syariah court’s punishment to a maximum fine of RM5,000, three years’ jail or six strokes of the rotan.