Kelantan Chinese against hudud
Representatives of the community say they fear conflicts in the administration of justice
Leven Woon, FMT
Although they have had no problems living under PAS rule, Kelantan Chinese are opposed to the imposition of hudud, according to two businessmen who claim that their views represent those of their community.
Oie Poh Choon and Lee Seng Long said their main worry was that the implementation of hudud would cause conflicts in the administration of justice if a group of suspects in a crime were to consist of both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Citing the hudud requirement of four male witnesses to convict a person for rape, Oie said a dilemma would arise if the crime involves a Muslim and a non-Muslim.
“What do you do then? Are you going to use hudud or conventional criminal law?”
The Kelantan government, through a private member’s bill to be tabled in Parliament by a PAS MP in JUne, is seeking to amend the Federal Constitution to pave the way for implementation of hudud in the state.
Oie, who is the chairman of the Kelantan Chinese Assembly Hall, said he was not against PAS rule in the state, adding that the government had been kind to non-Muslims.
He said the Chinese community generally did not feel oppressed by Islamic regulations currently in place, such as the one requiring men and women to queue separately at supermarket counters.
“But once hudud is implemented, it will be like practising two systems in one country,” he said.
“Let’s say a Muslim and non-Muslim commit the same crime. The sentences will be different. For sure the Muslim will say it is unjust.”
