Hudud: Nik Aziz hits out at ‘apologists’

(Harakah) –  PAS Murshidul Am Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has taken to task Muslims who opine that hudud laws could not be implemented until the majority are in agreement and have understood the laws.

“There is no law in this world, whether under democracy or communist systems, whose enforcement is subject to the people’s agreement and understanding of it,” Nik Aziz (pic) said in response to views expressed by a PAS member of parliament and a former mufti.

He explained that the prevalent laws in Malaysia too did not wait for people’s understanding before they could come in force.

“Even the US president, Barrack Obama, agrees to the law to legalise ‘same sex’ marriages in spite of the fact that majority of the international community reject it,” Nik Aziz said.

According to him, any law including the Islamic penal code could not wait to satisfy the ignorant who he said would continue to remain ignorant and dish out excuses to delay its implementation.

He cited Kelantan’s experience with regards to the plan to introduce Islamic criminal laws, where the state had gone through the stages of education, discussion and legislation.

“The Shariah criminal enactment will be 19 years old this November,” he said, adding that the people behind the enactment which was repeatedly blocked by the Federal government included Islamic legal heavyweights such as the late Prof Ahmad Ibrahim and Prof Mahmod Saedon, and Kelantan’s Shariah chief judge Daud Muhammad, besides experts in the field of civil law.

He said many workshops and discussions had been held with participation from NGOs both in Kota Bharu and Kuala Lumpur, and stressed that the enactment had received support from state assemblymen from both sides of the political divide.

Since 1993, Kelantan has proposed to implement hudud – the Islamic punishment for serious crimes – on Muslims in the state. The plan has long been opposed by MCA and DAP, but has been recently thrust into limelight following UMNO’s challenge to PAS to break away from Pakatan Rakyat after DAP chairman Karpal Singh’s recent public outburst.

“In the case of Kelantan, the delay is not due to absence of a conducive environment, but due to opposition from the Federal government, and this includes the ‘warning’ in the form of an official letter from the then prime minister which has yet to be revoked,” Nik Aziz said, referring to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s warning that he would subject PAS-led Kelantan to direct Federal rule if the Islamic enactment was passed.

“If a fisherman waits for ocean waves to subside, when can he ever go out to sea?” he asked.