PETALING JAYA: MCA's Kelana Jaya MP Loh Seng Kok is a politician under siege by Umno Youth in his constituency.

His nightmare unfolded on March 15 when he spoke up in Parliament and suggested that a religious development department be set up to help resolve "religious misunderstandings".

The following week, about 50 Kelana Jaya Umno Youth members turned up at Loh's service centre with a protest letter, demanding an explanation and threatening "action" if he failed to response.

Led by the Umno division youth chief Abdul Halim Samad, they also challenged Loh to a debate on the issues he raised in Parliament. The debate was supposed to have been held on March 29 but Umno postponed it due to unforeseen circumstance.

Loh's aide, when contacted for an update on the issue and for an interview said: "It's a very sensitive issue now and we have to tread cautiously. No need to further publicise and complicate the issues at hand.

"My boss (Loh) would not have raised the issues in Parliament if they are false or inaccurate. He is not afraid to speak the truth, and he has received a lot of moral support from the public and online community."

Asked on the contents of Umno's protest letter, the aide said: "Basically, it accuses Loh of stirring up the sensitivities of the Malay community. It also reminded him (Loh) not to go overboard and demanded an explanation."

When contacted, Loh said: "The date of the debate has yet to be rescheduled. I should refrain from commenting, for now."

Loh, in debating the motion of thanks to the King's address in Parliament, urged the House to review the "imbalance" in school history text books, Muslim prayer recital guidelines and problems afflicting places of worship of non-Muslims.

Abdul Halim claimed that the setting up of a religious development department, as propoed by Loh, would undermine the position of Islam as the official religion.

Loh, 43, won the Kelana Jaya parliamentary seat for the first time in the 2004 General Election. He is a former MCA youth seretary-general and a former political secretary to the former MCA president and Transport Minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.

MCA Youth chairman Datuk Liow Tiong Lai was quoted in a Chinese vernacular newspaper, as saying the act of Kelana Jaya Umno Youth was rude and defiant of the BN spirit.

He said no one should obstruct Loh from exercising his rights as an MP to freely express his views in Parliament.

He said MCA youth will stand by Loh and he had spoken to Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on their stand.

He said the youth wing will not let Loh face the issue himself and he believes the Kelana Jaya MP will meet the Umno division youth.

Liow said the government should also take care of the non-Muslim interest to ensure a balanced development in all religions and improve each others' understanding and unity.

On the history textbooks, he said instead of emphasising only Malay contribution and Islamic civilisation, the contribution of other races and other civilisations should also be mentioned to widen the world views of the next generation.