Can you really trust Umno? DAP asks PAS as hudud rift widens

(Malay Mail Online) – In yet another warning to PAS to back off from hudud, DAP told its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner today that if it continues to push for the Islamic law, the party would not only look gullible for siding with Umno but would betray the trust of its non-Muslim supporters.

In a strongly-worded statement here, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng asked PAS if it really believes it could trust that Umno’s apparent support of its hudud bid was born of honest intentions.

Short of saying PAS should leave PR, Lim went on to say that it would be a “contradiction” for the Islamist party to stay in the pact while it works with Umno to implement hudud in Kelantan.

“PAS must ask themselves seriously, is Umno worthy to be trusted?” Lim asked, reminding PAS that it was DAP and PKR, not Umno which helped the party make historic gains in Pahang, Johor, Selangor and Perak in the last two general elections.

If both PAS and Umno can win Malay votes without using the hudud issue as campaign fodder, there should be no reason to start now, the Bagan MP added.

He urged PAS to continue focusing on issues of “economic livelihood, public integrity, accountability and morality as well as employment and educational opportunities” as what has been agreed upon by all three PR parties in their common manifesto.

Lim also took MCA to task for not criticising Umno in its support towards the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, pointing out that Umno minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamil Khir Baharom had already formed a joint technical committee on hudud with the Kelantan PAS government just two days ago.

“Is MCA so hard-up for government posts that MCA dares not scold Umno for instigating PAS to implement hudud on Muslims in Kelantan?” the Penang chief minister asked.

PAS created  a storm nationwide with its proposal to push two private members’ bills at the next Dewan Rakyat sitting to finally allow it to roll out the Islamic criminal justice system by next year.

The Islamist party also seeks to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal) Jurisdiction Act 1965 to enable the Islamic Court the right to mete out the death penalty and amputations.

The Act limits the Shariah courts to  jail sentences of not more than three years in jail, six strokes of whipping, and  fines not exceeding RM5,000.