DAP, PAS remain at odds on hudud
Karpal Singh criticised for making “unfair” statement when such Islamic laws have not been implemented yet.
(Free Malaysia Today) – The attempt by Pakatan Rakyat to bury the hudud hatchet is proving to be difficult as the Islamist PAS and secularist DAP continue to trade barbs over PAS’ plan to implement Islamic law in Kelantan.
PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub, in an immediate reaction to Karpal Singh’s stinging statement on hudud, said it was unfair for the DAP chairman to say that there will be a rise in crime if Islamic law was implemented.
“It’s not fair for him to say that. It (hudud) has not even been implemented yet,” the Kubang Krian MP told FMT.
Yesterday, Karpal, the Batu Gelugor MP, claimed that hudud laws will boost, and not deter, crimes because of the high standard of proof that would impede the prosecution from establishing its case.
He said the rigid requirement to have four witnesses under hudud laws meant that the case must be proven with certainty and this was contrary to the current criminal legal system which only required the prosecution to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt.
Karpal’s statement is seen as an open attack against PAS and casts doubts on Pakatan’s position on the matter when it agreed that hudud can only be implemented if there was a consensus.
PAS’ Islamic agenda again exposes Pakatan to claims that it will never be able to be a solid unified substitute to the ruling Barisan Nasional as the DAP and lynchpin PKR are against any hardcore Islamisation attempts.
