DAP MP pins Teluk Intan loss on PAS’s hudud agenda

(Malay Mail Online) – PAS’s refusal to back down from its hudud bid contributed significantly to DAP’s loss in Teluk Intan last weekend, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said.

The DAP lawmaker said the swing in non-Malay votes ― estimated to be as high as 25 per cent ― was likely a “silent protest” against PAS’s attempt to introduce the controversial Islamic penal code in Kelantan.

Gobind agreed that the low voter turnout during Saturday’s poll was a factor but said to the Chinese of Teluk Intan, the hudud controversy affected their support for Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

“Whilst PAS worked tirelessly with us in DAP throughout the campaign, for which we are thankful, they stood firm even during the period of campaign, that they would eventually push ahead with hudud,” he said.

Gobind added despite being aware of DAP’s stance on the issue, leaders of the Islamist party had expressed their intention to press ahead with the two private members’ bills in Parliament to empower the state to implement its 1993 Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II.

“To my mind, this struck deep in the minds of many voters as many do not support hudud and feel that Malaysia must remain a secular nation with full effect given to the Federal Constitution as it stands,” said Gobind.

He said voters “felt misled into supporting PAS” as hudud is not part of PR’s common agenda in the last two general elections.

“Because of this, many expressed reservations over support for PR as that would also be support for PAS and their agenda to implement hudud,” he added.

In the by-election on Saturday, Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Mah Siew Keong won after he took 20,157 votes to DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mod Daud’s 19,919.

Gobind added that the party made a right decision to field Dyana Sofya in the semi-rural federal seat but strategies on selecting the suitable candidate and the party’s vision alone “cannot in itself erase the need for clarity in terms of position on current issues of public concern such as hudud”.

“Ultimately, it boils down to our ability to move the people and to inspire and motivate them. The negative impact issues like hudud will have, if not already, needs to be felt and understood through this loss,” he said.

Failing to resolve the hudud conundrum, said Gobind, would be “somewhat disastrous”.