Pakatan to avoid Islamic state debate at convention
(The Malaysian Insider) – As expected, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will avoid touchy issues such as PAS’s renewed push for an Islamic state during its upcoming convention, focusing instead on issues of mutual interest.
PR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim played down talk about PAS’s latest insistence on the formation of an Islamic state should the opposition take over Putrajaya, saying that the convention was no place to bring up the matter.
“In the meeting, Hadi was there, Mustafa Ali was there and they explained that the issue that will be focused on is common issues. Why should we bring up issues which have no mutual consensus. Our decision as Pakatan Rakyat is based on consensus,” Anwar told reporters after a PR council meeting today.
The opposition leader took great pains to explain that this did not mean that PR did not place any emphasis on Islam as the official religion in the country.
“The issue of solidifying Islam is within the framework of the constitution and I feel it is important, as a Muslim.
“However (for the convention) we as PR will move together on issues, agendas that we have consensus,” said Anwar.
Fully aware of the opposition to an Islamic state, PAS has insisted on pushing for such a state with hudud law to be implemented in “stages” if it wins the snap polls widely speculated for early next year.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had admitted the concept had yet to gain significant traction among even PR component parties, but claimed that opposition towards the idea was only because there was a lack of “understanding” about the concept.
The veteran leader told The Malaysian Insider recently that the Islamist party would focus on introducing such laws in PAS-governed states like Kelantan and Kedah first, to allow Malaysians to “evaluate” the merits of Islamic and hudud law.
“It has to be done in stages. We will implement this stage by stage because we have to realise the first thing that needs to be understood is the word Islam itself. Islam cannot be defined as a religion because the word religion in itself does not fully define Islam.
“Islam is not just a religion but also a way of life, and it encompasses all aspects of daily life,” said Hadi in an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider this week.
He had said that the federalism model practised by Malaysia would enable PAS to slowly enforce relevant Islamic and hudud laws in states which were currently under PAS.
Hadi, who was also present during the PR press conference today, did not elaborate on his earlier remarks about the Islamic state.
Instead, the PAS chief only said that the convention would be a “progression” from last year’s annual meet, but did not elaborate any further.
“We will move from the Shah Alam resolution, which is based on the constitution. Umno, on the other hand, has failed to uphold the principles of Islam,” he said.
Hadi also brushed aside talk about a non-Malay being offered a deputy prime minister’s post should the opposition bloc win the next general election.
“We will follow what is stated in the constitution in this. We have not yet won, or assumed power, so we cannot do it yet, cannot talk about it yet. We do it based on the federal constitution,” he said.
Utusan Malaysia had recently quoted Anwar as saying in a Sin Chew daily interview as guaranteeing DAP’s Lim Kit Siang the DPM post should PR take over Putrajaya.
However, Anwar later clarified that every coalition leader, regardless of race, had a shot at becoming deputy prime minister so long as the decision was “made with consensus” among PR component parties.
“The DPM post was never discussed in the leadership council, except that we agreed that whatever appointment will be based on the constitution,” said Lim, who was also present at today’s press conference.
