Pakatan Rakyat might suffer the Muslim backlash

Most likely the Bill will be defeated. But it will not be Umno that defeats this Bill. It will be the Muslim MPs who do so and not at the behest of Umno. So Umno may come out the winner in this after all if they play their cards right. And those Malays from Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional who oppose Hudud may see the end of their careers.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Lim Kit Siang said that PAS might get wiped out in the coming general election expected at the very latest around three years from now in 2018. That may be true. But that does not mean Pakatan Rakyat is safe as well.

DAP may still get 80-85% of the Chinese votes but with just about 60 of the 222 Parliament seats and only half the 56 Selangor state seats having a significant Chinese population, DAP will not be able to rule as well, other than probably just in Penang.

The success of the opposition in the 2008 and 2013 general elections was not because the Chinese voted DAP and the Malays voted PAS. It was because Chinese, Malays and Indians voted across racial lines.

Even Samy Vellu once said that if not for the Malay vote he would not have won. He then raised his arm and said that he has Malay blood running through his vein, not meaning literally, of course.

During one dialogue that Samy had with the Malay Chamber of Commerce, he told the Malay businessmen that his ministry has always given the Malays priority. I look after the Malays more than I look after my fellow Indians, he told the Malay Chamber members.

And that is true and does not apply to just Samy. Many non-Malay politicians depend on Malay (and Indian) votes, as do Malays depend on non-Malay votes as well. Hence unless the Malays, Chinese and Indians unite, both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional will find the going very tough indeed.

And in Sabah and Sarawak this is even more crucial considering the racial/religious mix in those two states. In short, you cannot depend on just one community. You need the support of all or else you are a dead duck.

For some time now Muslims have had to bear the insults against Islam, not just in Malaysia but also all over the world. The non-Muslims hide behind democracy, free speech, liberalism, moderation, western values, etc., to whack Islam.

The Christians would get very upset when Muslims criticise the New Testament and declare it a fake book or dispute the crucifixion and resurrection and say it never happened. They will also get upset if Muslims say that Christianity is not based on the teachings of Jesus but was a fabrication by Paul and hence Christianity is actually Paulism and contrary to what Jesus taught.

But these same Christians feel it is their right to declare that the Sharia and/or Hudud are barbaric and archaic laws and only stupid people would want to introduce such laws to Malaysia. The Muslims also feel it is stupid to hang the icon of a dead person on a cross around your neck but they do not insult you for that even though Islam considers that idol worshipping, which is forbidden by Christ.

The Middle East is in turmoil. But the turmoil is sectarian and political although it appears religious. And this is because those engaged in this conflict use Islam as their foundation, just as PAS and Umno do. The only difference is that PAS defends ‘Islam dan Melayu’ while Umno defends ‘Melayu dan Islam’. But both come to the same in the end: bangsa, agama dan negara, in whichever order you wish to say it.

While the non-Muslims may be fed up with PAS and its Islamic agenda, the Malays are equally fed up with DAP’s anti-Islam agenda. And do not try to explain that you are not against Islam but just against Hudud because, to many Malays, Hudud and Islam come as a package. Hence if you oppose one then you oppose both.

Sure, not all Muslims agree on Hudud, or even on the Sharia. But then not all Chinese and Indians are Christians either. So, as there are many Chinese and Indians who are not Christians, there are also many Malays who are not what we can call fundamentalist Muslims.

To say that since not all Muslims agree with Hudud or the Sharia is proof that Hudud and the Sharia are wrong and should be opposed is like saying that since not all Chinese and Indians are Christians this is proof that Christianity is wrong and should be opposed.

There are many things Muslims do not agree. They do not all agree on the Hadith. Should the Hadith be opposed? They do not all agree on Shiism. Should the Iranian Embassy be closed and the Iranians kicked out of Malaysia and banned from ever entering Malaysia?

The Muslims will disagree on many things, as the Christians also do. But it is not the place of Muslims to say that only the Church of England is right and Catholicism should be banned in Malaysia and all Catholics should be condemned. So why are non-Muslims deciding the ‘correct’ version of Islam?

While you may say the non-Muslims have had enough of this Hudud nonsense, the Muslims, too, have had enough with non-Muslims telling Muslims what to do.

I do not think that people who commit adultery should be put to death. I also do not think that apostates should be put to death. I further think that it is your choice to lead a gay lifestyle if you are gay.

I resent people deciding what you can and cannot do and believe. And this includes non-Muslims telling Muslims what type of Islam should be practiced in Malaysia. And many Muslims are beginning to support Hudud not because they believe in Hudud but because they want to ‘up yours’ the non-Muslims.

That is the danger Pakatan Rakyat is facing. And Umno, realising this, will not officially oppose Hudud or tell its members to vote against Hudud. Umno will leave it to their members to decide what they want to do.

In short, Umno will not take an official position. Umno will not decide either way. Umno will leave it to each individual to vote according to his or her conscience.

Most likely the Bill will be defeated. But it will not be Umno that defeats this Bill. It will be the Muslim MPs who do so and not at the behest of Umno. So Umno may come out the winner in this after all if they play their cards right. And those Malays from Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional who oppose Hudud may see the end of their careers.

I suppose the Lord moves in mysterious ways.

Anyway, see the photograph below. PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang’s support is far larger than Anwar Ibrahim’s.