Back off, PAS tells Kit Siang over Kelantan’s hudud plan

(Malay Mail Online) – Lim Kit Siang should not interfere in the religious affairs of others, especially in Islam which is enshrined in the Federal Constitution as the religion of the federation, a leader from PAS’s Ulamak wing repeated today as both the Islamist party and the DAP continue to square off over Kelantan’s plan to implement hudud.

In a statement here, the wing’s acting deputy chief Datuk Mahfodz Mohamed reiterated the Kelantan PAS government’s assurance to non-Muslims in the state that the Islamic Penal Code will only apply to those professing Islam.

“Therefore, non-Muslims need not be afraid,” he said.

He added that PAS has given its “full commitment” to plans to implement Islamic law within the framework of the existing democratic system, and will continue to push for hudud.

Hudud, he added, is a policy of PAS that is even enshrined in the party’s Constitution.

In Kelantan, Mahfodz claimed that more than 70 per cent of voters there have expressed their support for the implementation of the Islamic penal code.

“Lim Kit Siang should not interfere in the affairs of other religions, especially Islam which is guaranteed as the religion of the federation,” he said.

DAP veteran Lim has made his stand on hudud clear, and has repeatedly demanded that PAS shelve its plans in Kelantan, even warning of an imminent break-up of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance if the Islamist party insists on implementing the code in Kelantan.

PAS has, in the meantime, received the backing of Umno in Kelantan to implement the laws.

Last month, Kelantan Umno chief Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed pointed out that his party had already made its position clear in 1993 when the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II was being tabled in the state assembly.

That year, the then-PAS government successfully tabled and passed the enactment to implement hudud but the strict Islamic penal code has not been enforced due to conflicts with the Federal Constitution.

Kelantan formed a hudud technical committee after the state government announced in April that it is gearing up present two Private Member’s Bills to Parliament, hoping to remove all obstacles to its implementation of the hudud law in Kelantan by 2015.

But PAS is facing unyielding resistance from both its PR partners PKR and DAP, and has said it hopes to get the necessary votes from Umno MPs in order to get the bill approved.

The Islamist party will need a simple majority of 112 votes for this.

In Islamic jurisprudence, hudud covers crimes such as theft, robbery, adultery, rape and sodomy.

Punishments for the crimes are severe, including amputation, flogging and death by stoning.

Malay-Muslim activists in support of the idea have argued the enforcement of hudud is in line Article 3 in the Federal Constitution, which states that Islam is the religion of the federation.

Opponents however argue that hudud cannot be carried out in Malaysia as Islamic law is applicable only on Muslims and if enforced, would run counter to other fundamental provisions in the constitution, namely Article 8, which prescribes equality before the law for all, regardless of their religious beliefs.