No solution in sight for PAS – DAP discord on Hudud

(Bernama) – Ties among the three parties that make up Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are still edgy despite the trio having forged some kind of political collaboration back in 2008.

While PAS, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and DAP are busy portraying their coalition as a worthy alternative to the Barisan National (BN), all that trumpeting obviously does not hold water as the different idealogies professed by the parties, especially PAS and DAP, are causing them to be at loggerheads with each other.

What is the true significance of the so-called “tahaluf siyasi” (which in Arabic means political cooperation) shared by the allies when, in reality, they choose to practise it only when a general election looms?

And, how qualified is PR to tout itself as the saviour of the people when its internal bickering is conspicuous to all and sundry?

NO END TO CONFLICTS DESPITE POLITICAL COOPERATION

Political analysts view the PAS-PKR-DAP political tie-up as mere rhetoric to drum up voter support for their individual parties, and not the coalition per se.

They feel that any form of cooperation among political parties should not be skewed towards the sole purpose of winning elections but should, instead, cover various aspects, including the administration of the state governments they control.

Associate Prof Mohd Izani Mohd Zain, who is a lecturer with Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Department of Government and Civilisation Studies, said the political collaboration among the PR component parties covered two areas, namely cooperation during elections, and issues and other matters they have in common.

He felt that any cooperation loosely based on issues often posed problems because the parties were, in the first place, unwilling to give up their individual struggles, he said.

“Hence, I’m not surprised that PAS is still holding on to its decision to implement hudud law as it has been struggling for this even before the opposition coalition was formed. Hudud is PAS’ right.

“It also shows that the parties have all along been trying to keep their conflicts under wraps whilst attempting to cooperate or compromise with one another. This doesn’t mean that their conflicts have been resolved,” he told Bernama.

DAP NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND PAS

Prof Dr Mohd Fuad Mat Jali, who is Deputy Dean of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, said current political events suggested that either PAS or DAP may withdraw from PR if their dispute over the implementation of hudud went unresolved.

He said the DAP should have understood PAS’ struggle to establish an Islamic state and implement hudud law before it (DAP) conceded to having the Islamist party as a coalition partner.

“The hudud matter would not have turned into an issue if the DAP had understood PAS’ struggle and objectives right from the start. As members of the same coalition, it should cooperate with PAS. Actually, hudud doesn’t affect the non-Muslims,” he told Bernama.

During the party’s national convention in Petaling Jaya on Dec 14, DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng was reported as saying that PR should make a final stand on rejecting hudud, in keeping with the aspirations of moderate voters who were supportive of the opposition coalition’s bid to wrest Putrajaya from the BN.

Lim said it was essential that the coalition adopted a firm stand on the hudud issue as it would be instrumental in determining PR’s victory at the 14th general election.

In an immediate reaction, PAS Dewan Ulama Acting Deputy Chief Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamad hit out at Lim by saying that his party would not budge on its decision to enforce hudud, in spite of DAP’s vehement opposition.

He charged that DAP had no right to hold up the implementation of hudud in Kelantan as the state was under the administration of PAS.

PAS MAY CONSIDER LEAVING PAKATAN

Mohd Fuad did not discount the possibility of PAS considering withdrawing from the coalition if the party’s struggles continued to face a barrage of criticism from DAP.

He said PAS was prepared to face any eventualities, as well as resistance from its allies, in its endeavour to implement the Islamic penal code.

“What is wrong if DAP is given a chance to see how hudud operates? But DAP feels that if it supports PAS, then its supporters will think that it is bowing down to PAS,” he added.

Mohd Izani, meanwhile, speculated the possibility of PKR compelling PAS to “forget about” enforcing hudud law.

“This may happen as PKR has supported DAP on many occasions in the past. In many instances, PAS had always been seen as a loner, although there is supposed to be cooperation among the opposition parties,” he said.

On Dec 15, Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar, Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, reportedly advised the DAP to exit PR if it was uncomfortable with PAS’ struggle to implement hudud.

The day before, Kelantan Menteri Besar, Datuk Ahmad Yakob, had announced that the state government would convene a special state assembly sitting on Dec 29 to table an amendment to the Syariah 11 Criminal Code 1993, or hudud.

He said the amendment was part of the procedure by the state government to table a private member’s bill in Parliament to seek approval for Kelantan to enforce hudud, in accordance with Article 76A of the Federal Constitution.