Would hudud have saved Kelantan from floods?
K Kabilan, The Ant Daily
It is very perturbing when our politicians link even a natural disaster to God to drive home a message that is favaourable to them.
With more than 100,000 people being victims of the worst floods to have hit the nation, actions of some of our politicians are just tasteless.
Take PAS’ Pasir Mas MP Nik Mohamad Abduh for instance. Instead of showing leadership mantle in assisting the victims in his home state Kelantan, he went on to suggest that the worsening floods was a sign of “Allah’s wrath”.
And he drove home a political message by saying that the PAS-led state government must continue with its bid to enforce hudud in the state amid strong opposition.
Nik Mohamad, who is the son of PAS spiritual leader and former Kelantan menteri besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, penned his thoughts in his Facebook that the floods were intended to remind Muslims to return to Allah’s path.
“The flood is a reminder to all Muslims to return to Allah’s ways and stay away from His wrath.
“It necessitates the perseverance of the Kelantan government to implement hudud laws,” he had said.
[Bencana banjir ingatkan umat Islam agar kembali kepada Allah dan jauhi murkaNya. Ia wajarkan kerajaan Kelantan terus istiqamah laksana syariat Hudud.]
Should we take at face value everything that a politician tells us? Why is it that they think they can hoodwink us at all times? Are we that gullible?
At a time when everyone – from federal government agencies to state authorities and NGOs – is working hard to ensure the flood victims are safe, and have proper and sufficient aid delivered to them, Nik Mohamad decides to politicise the natural disaster which occurs annually in the east coast part of Malaysia.
This surely is not the time for him to be sending political messages, timed to coincide with the special assembly sitting to be convened next Monday to table and pass amendments to the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II.
Once approved at the state assembly, PAS then plans to table a private member’s bill in Parliament to amend the Federal Constitution. If allowed, it would pave the way for Kelantan to implement hudud law in the state.
PAS’ hudud move has, however, been strongly opposed by its Pakatan Rakyat ally DAP. Strong exchange of words between the leaders of the two parties in recent weeks has led to speculations of potential break-up of the national opposition bloc as a result of the hudud issue.
