MALACCA: Gerakan will meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to clear the air over Pas' move to table Syariah law amendments, said party president Datuk Mah Siew Keong.
"We will meet the prime minister to discuss this issue (on Pas' Private Member's Bill) with him. What is needed to be said has been said, we only hope to be able to solve the problem," he told reporters at a dinner organised by state Gerakan in Ayer Keroh here on Monday night.
Asked if he was maintaining his stand that he would resign from his ministerial post if the amendments were to proceed, Mah said, "We have made the announcement previously and we will further discuss this with the PM."
Present at the dinner were Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron and Malacca Gerakan president Chua Lian Chye.
On Saturday, Mah announced his decision to resign from his ministerial post if the Private Member’s Bill tabled by Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is passed in Parliament.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said he was prepared to do what Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had announced to do, which was to resign from his ministerial post.
MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam also announced that he would relinquish his position as the Health Minister should the Bill be passed in parliament.
The Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016, which made an appearance in Parliament this week, has caused consternation among political parties across the divide.
Earlier in his speech, Mah, who spoke in Mandarin, reiterated the party's stand by standing firm on stopping the Bill from being passed in Parliament.
He said the party would do their best to not allow the bill be passed in parliament and it was an issue they have been trying to go against over these last few years.
"We must find ways on how to oppose this. We must cooperate to convince the MPs."
He said that to pass the bill, it only requires a simple majority of 51 per cent of votes, instead of the 2/3 majority, and this meant that more effort must be taken to convince MPs to oppose the bill.
"We have the responsibility to explain and convince the MPs regardless of which party they are from.
"If the bill is approved, the nation's future will see a drastic change," he said in his speech to a strong crowd of about 1,000, also attended by other Barisan Nasional component party members.