By not giving up on its hudud plans, the Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) is nothing more than putting old wine into a new bottle, said MCA Publicity Bureau Chairman Senator Datuk Chai Kim Sen.

Referring the GHB as a movement of disgruntled leaders who were abandoned by PAS grassroots, Chai said they will not let slip any chances to implement hudud.

“Whether or not the movement will be successfully registered as a political party, the fact remains that its core value will not be of much difference from PAS’,” he said in a press statement today.

“Its membership and vision, are closely related to PAS and its struggle to set up an administration based on Islamic criminal code and implement hudud,” he added.

He said although the group calls themselves progressive, they have clearly stated that they will continue with PAS’ struggles.

On Monday, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said the new party would still champion for hudud but added that the priority is to win the next general election with a new pact.

He said GHB will be registered as a new political party with a new name on September 14.

He said Khalid’s statement has further convinced MCA that the new movement is a mere extension of PAS with a different approach but the same intention to manipulate non-Muslim voters.

“DAP once helped PAS to deceive the non-Muslim community and compromised its rights but was later bitten by and severed its ties with, the overgrown monster PAS,” he said.

“Now it is trying to use the frustrated PAS leaders as proxy to manufacture an alternative to PAS and sets up yet another ticking time-bomb for the Chinese,” he added.

On Sunday, PAS former deputy president Mohamad Sabu said PAS is no longer relevant in the current political landscape and must be reformed.

He said the GHB, which he and other former PAS leaders launched last Monday, was one way of reform for PAS to remain relevant.