‘You have no right to block hudud’

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang tells ally to steer clear of Kelantan’s move to implement hudud law, adding that he is willing to discuss the issue with anyone, including Umno

(National Express) – Firing a warning at his allies, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that PKR has no right to block the implementation of hudud law in Kelantan.

According to Bernama, the PAS supremo was reported to have said this during a fund raising event held at the Pusat Tarbiyah Islamiah Kelantan (Putik) last night.

Hadi also said that he was willing to hold discussions with anyone so that people could understand how the Islamic law would be applied in the state.

“We are willing to hold discussions with anyone, including Umno,” said the Marang MP.

It is not clear on why Hadi had targeted his criticism against PKR, as the party has yet to make an official stand on the matter.

Yesterday, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke launched a scathing attack against PAS, calling for the Islamist party to quit Pakatan Rakyat if it was bent on implementing hudud in Kelantan.

Loke said that the implementation of hudud was not part of Pakatan’s Common Policy Framework.

“As a principled and responsible political party, PAS should respect and abide by the framework it agreed to when it joined Pakatan.

“If PAS is determined to go ahead with its plans (hudud), then it should do the honorable thing and withdraw (from Pakatan),” the Rasah MP was reported saying.

The Kelantan state government is planning to submit two private member bills to the Parliament in June to implement hudud law in the state.

Minister in the Prime Minister Department Jamil Khir Baharom, who is in charge of Islamic affairs, had voiced his support and said that the government would not block the bill.

Several other Umno leaders, including veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, had also voiced his support for hudud to be implemented in the state.

However, the move received disapproval from several quarters, including former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who said that such a move would not help dispense justice to Muslims.