Hudud won’t stop crime, says PAS chief supporter

(MM) – Hudud enforcement in not the solution to crime prevention, PAS’s election nominee Hu Pang Chow has weighed in amid strong hints PAS-led Kelantan may soon mete out stiff punishments prescribed under the controversial Islamic penal code.

Hu, who has been backing the Islamist party, also said that criminal laws, whether those prescribed under the Islamic justice system or Malaysia’s civil justice system, only served to punish lawbreakers without necessarily helping deter more crimes from happening.

“I don’t think there is punishment or penalty that can stop all the crime. The most important thing to tackle the matter is to know why people turn into criminals in the first place,” the chairman of PAS’s non-Muslim Supportes Congress was quoted as saying in an interview with The Star Online published today.

“To me, the important thing is to educate, to explain and to prevent. But the existing system has one purpose, that is to punish you. That’s all there is to it.”

Hu’s comments come after the head of Kelantan’s Syariah Court indicated earlier this week that they are ready to implement hudud.

“Insya Allah (God willing), Kelantan is able to implement hudud. The law is already there and if there’s a need for more judges, we will add,” Syariah chief judge Datuk Daud Muhammad was quoted as saying by Bernama on November 13.

The northern state’s religious authorities have voiced support for hudud to be meted out.

Kelantan mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad was today reported to urged Muslims in the state to take cognisance of the pending enforcement and brace themselves for it.

“I support the views of the Kelantan Syariah chief judge and now it is up to the state government. I advise that the people be ready to make a migration of feelings and thoughts.

“The people should be prepared to accept the implementation of hudud laws because this hudud enactment was passed by the state legislative assembly that represents the people,” Shukri was quoted saying by Sinar Harian’s portal today.

Shukri was likely referring to the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment II that was passed by the state assembly in 1993, which paved the way for the state to use hudud laws.

But two members of the state government’s executive council appeared more cautious when commenting on the implementation of hudud in the state that has been ruled by PAS for decades.

Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said that only the judiciary would know the requirements for the implementation of hudud, such as the number of judges required.

“I don’t know what to comment and if he did say that, but he has to explain what he means by already ready.

“Only the court department knows what they need,” he told Malay daily Utusan Malaysia today.

Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud said that the Kelantan syariah chief judge’s explanation was sufficient and declined to comment further, Sinar Harian reported.

“I think what he explained is sufficient, later after this,” said the Kelantan exco for Islamic development, propagation, information and regional relations.

Malaysia has a parallel legal system of civil laws and syariah laws, with the latter applying only to Muslims, the main religious group in the country.

The use of hudud laws in the country have been floated over the years, but opposition have often arisen from political parties that remain wary of the law.