Hudud not for a secular country, says Karpal

(NST) – DAP chairman Karpal Singh has dismissed the suggestion by DAP Socialist Youth chief Anthony Loke that non-Muslims should not fear the hudud law.

“As far as DAP is concerned, our stand against hudud has been absolute.

“You can’t have two legal systems in criminal law. If you bring in Islamic law, we will have complications,” he said, when asked to comment on Loke’s statement on the matter, which was reported yesterday.

Loke was quoted as saying that if one was not involved in crime, then they do not have to worry about the implementation of hudud.

Karpal said it was not a question of worrying over the implementation of hudud with regard to non-Muslims, but the fact it is inconsistent with the Constitution.

“We have to go by the set up of the country as reflected in the Federal Constitution. You can’t have hudud law in a secular state,” he said, adding that hudud could only be applied in a country that was truly Islamic, such as Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, MCA leaders strongly objected to Loke’s statement that MCA had cast Islam and hudud in a negative light.

MCA Publicity Bureau deputy chairman Loh Seng Kok said for Loke to issue such a statement showed that DAP was actually hiding the fact that they were “idolising Pas leaders”, especially those who had been steadfast in their stand on hudud.

He added that the opposition’s common stand on Islamic law should instead be highlighted in their Buku Jingga and should not remain in a “grey area”.

“For MCA members, we are against hudud because we cannot allow the country to have two sets of laws.

“It’s our duty to highlight to the community that if we have one set of laws for Muslims and another for non-Muslims, it will surely create havoc later on,” he said.

Loh said imposing different punishments for the same crime may result in grievances.

MCA Youth vice-chairman Yit Lee Kok said MCA’s stand was not to discourage others from Islam, but to advise the public that non-Muslims would be affected should the Islamic law be implemented.

Loke was quoted yesterday as saying that MCA had portrayed an extremist image of Islam by its stand on hudud.