PAS risking goodwill of voter base with hudud
Lim Guan Eng criticises PAS for betraying both its non-Muslim and Muslim voter base by pushing for hudud in Parliament.
Sandra John, Free Malaysia Today
DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng has accused Pakatan Rakyat’s coalition partner PAS of betraying the trust of non-Muslims who voted for them on the Islamist party’s word that hudud would never be imposed on the people.
In a statement, Lim, who is also chief minister of Penang, said, “The high 80% non-Muslim voters who voted during the 2013 general election in favour of PAS against UMNO, will feel betrayed by a PAS that they voted to fight corruption and replace BN, not to implement hudud laws.”
Suggesting PAS was risking the possibility of losing forever its non-Muslim voter base, Lim added, “Whether UMNO supports or not PAS’ hudud laws in Parliament, there is no way back for PAS amongst non-Muslim voters if PAS takes the initiative to implement hudud laws in Parliament.”
He also accused the Islamist party of trying to create a “one country, two criminal systems” nation, saying, “Non-Muslims know that this is only the first step towards eventually leading to a full implementation of hudud laws on all, including non-Muslims in the future.”
Warning PAS that they were seriously tampering with their Malay voter base as well, Lim pointed out that even the Malays were uncomfortable about living under hudud as could be seen by PAS’s lacklustre support in the past until it became a partner under the PR banner.
“It is unlikely that hudud is an election winner for PAS amongst Malay voters, because if hudud laws are that crucial, PAS would have won every general election over the last 50 years and not have to wait 50 years until (the) 2008 general elections to win in Kedah and Perak by combining with both PKR and DAP.”
