End hudud tiff, PAS told

Spat with DAP will hamper election results, say party leaders 

Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, The Malay Mail

PAS leaders have called for the party to stop the hudud tiff with DAP and avoid creating unnecessary distractions, stressing the need to solely focus on the general election.

Political analysts, however, have disregarded the political quarrel between the two Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties as a “gimmick” to strengthen their political base.

PAS central working committee member and Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad said the hudud issue would not help but only hamper the party’s performance in the elections.

“I want the hudud polemic to stop as we would like the electorate to clearly focus on the ‘defining issues’ of the general election and how both divides advocate solutions and what both have done in the course of the 12th parliamentary session,” he said.

“Besides, it will allow PAS-PR to mount a campaign against the Umno-BN government.

Dzulkefly, the PAS Research Centre director, told The Malay Mail the party needs to be realistic in its struggle for hudud and stressed that any amendments should be done democratically.

He said the party has established its commitment in implementing the Islamic Penal Code.

He said the biggest obstacle for the penal code to get a federal mandate is the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 which reduces all punitive laws of Islam to RM3,000 fine, fives years detention and strokes of the rotan.

“PAS and other political parties and NGOs and academics must work together to get hudud explained and supported. They should also ensure it is implemented democratically,” he said.

PAS Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad agreed that the party needs to get its act together, saying its leaders needed to be more understanding.

“Unfortunately some of the party youth leaders are not sensitive to understanding the current situation. The hudud issue is like a double-edged sword. Maybe in Terengganu, PAS can get more support from the Malays by championing hudud but the party might lose votes from non-Malays in other states like Selangor.

“The party must be wise in handling the issue. The public knows the party’s Islamic agenda. Even though we don’t talk about it, it doesn’t mean that they don’t know it,” he said.

Universiti Utara Malaysia School of International Studies Dean Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, however, said the war of words between DAP and PAS was only a “political gimmick.”

“I think this is a political gimmick before the election. They want to maintain their core support but they also do not want to scare away the Chinese voters because PAS was able to win several seats due to Chinese support.

“That is why they have their top leaders reassuring that hudud will not be implemented but their grassroots are saying the opposite,” he said.

Independent political analyst Khoo Kay Peng also said the hudud debate was a “political necessity” for both parties.

“I don’t think there will be an all out war but it is a political necessity. Their sole purpose is to defeat Barisan Nasional (BN) at the polls. Hudud will not become an issue for both parties and will be set aside when election takes place,” he said.