Both MCA and Gerakan today fired back at DAP's Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming, telling him to first "mend his own backyard” before labelling the two BN parties as "coffeeshop heroes" for failing to vote against the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) amendments.

NONE“Instead of meddling,” Gerakan secretary-general Mah Siew Keong (right) advised Nga, he should question the absence of 23 of his Pakatan Rakyat colleagues when a bloc vote was called during the debate on the Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) Bill 2013 in Parliament on Wednesday.

“Those absent included the opposition leader himself," Mah said in a statement.

He also said Gerakan would moot a sunset clause for controversial portions of the Act, namely Sections 15A and 19A.

Meanwhile, in another statement, Perak MCA secretary Tan Chin Meng said it was "ridiculous" that opposition representatives were unable to fulfil their "most basic duties and responsibilities".

“Pakatan MPs have completely failed. They vented loudly against the PCA but when it came to the critical moment to ballot, many of their lawmakers went missing.”

Nga yesterday called Gerakan and MCA “coffeeshop heroes” after their MPs voted in line with Umno representatives in favour of the Bill, although they had initially objected to the amendments, which bring back preventive detention.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders, including Anwar Ibrahim, explained that many MPs were not present during the crucial vote-taking as they had prior engagements and could not cancel them due to the short notice given on the Bill’s second reading.

They said many Pakatan MPs, such as Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and PAS president Hadi Awang, were abroad on official assignments, or, like Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli were performing the haj, while DAP’s Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh was unwell.


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As expected, MCA and Gerakan toe the line