PAS will ‘isolate itself’ from Pakatan with hudud push, warns DAP MP

(Malay Mail Online) – PAS will risk ostracisation by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if the Islamist party tables amendments to its hudud law in Kelantan next month despite heated objections from  allies, a DAP lawmaker cautioned today .

But DAP national legal bureau chairman Gobind Singh Deo’s warning comes even as Umno appears to be courting PAS with, among others, Barisan Nasional’s disinclination to contest the by-election for the Chempaka state seat in Kelantan that was vacated after the death of PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

“If PAS pushes on with hudud, it will further distance itself from the common objectives of PR and thereby isolate itself from PR,” Gobind told Malay Mail Online.

“When someone does something against the common policy framework of any organisation, it isolates itself from the organisation. What will become of it will be left to the PR leadership to decide,” the DAP leader added, when asked if the DAP would expel PAS from the federal opposition pact or if the secular party would leave PR instead.

Local daily The Star reported Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah yesterday as saying that no amount of objection from DAP will dissuade PAS from attempting to enforce the Islamic penal code in Kelantan.

Amar was reported by Sin Chew Daily yesterday as saying that Kelantan will proceed with tabling the amendments to the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II 1993 in the state legislative assembly on March 18.

PAS is also expected to table two private members’ bills in Parliament next month, which are aimed at removing constitutional obstacles currently preventing it from enforcing the hudud law that it enacted in Kelantan back in 1993.

Gobind said in a press statement today that tabling the hudud amendment bill in Kelantan was a violation of PR’s common policy framework.

“If that be the case, those leaders in PAS who are behind this move must then be brave enough to acknowledge that they have pushed PAS to part ways with Pakatan Rakyat and put into question its credibility in terms of projecting itself as a party which is focused on and wants to work towards strengthening Pakatan Rakyat,” said Gobind.

“The tabling of this bill would also go against the agreement reached in the last PR leadership meet where it was clearly understood that there should be further discussions between all three parties before any further steps are taken in the matter,” the Puchong MP added.

PAS was told at PR’s presidential council meeting on February 8 to present the hudud amendment bill and private members’ bills on the Islamic penal code to the federal opposition pact’s top leadership first before tabling them.

The DAP had warned of an imminent break-up of the PR alliance when Kelantan previously announced plans to table amendments to hudud law in the state assembly last December 29, until major floods in the east coast state forced PAS to postpone its plans.