Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai was quoted by The Star as saying: “There’s no new development on the RUU 355 bill. It was not brought up in today’s meeting.”
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had originally tabled it as a Private Member’s bill but, later, the government said it would table the bill instead with some changes.
Hadi’s bill seeks to increase the punishment to 30 years jail, a fine of up to RM100,000 and up to 100 strokes of the cane.
The MCA president said: “MCA has already engaged the Chinese community and we have made our views known to the prime minister (Najib Razak) on the issue.
“We are against the RUU 355 bill which is proposed by Hadi as it goes against the spirit of the Federal Constitution.”
The report said Liow later had a private meeting at his office to discuss the RUU 355 issue. Those who attended included MCA heads and Chinese association leaders.
Among the Chinese associations present were the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Federation of Hokkien Associations Malaysia and the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia.
Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said the government, not Hadi, would be tabling the RUU 355 bill in Parliament.
The amendments have been listed seventh in the Order Paper of the current meeting of Parliament.