Hadi defends Umno talks, blames DAP
PAS leader says party duty-bound to co-operate as Islamist agenda is part of divine order
(Free Malaysia Today) – Abdul Hadi Awang has indirectly blamed DAP for causing the party to co-operate with Umno in trying to enforce hudud criminal penalties in Kelantan under syariah law.
Whether or not Umno had ulterior motives in supporting hudud was not for PAS to decide, he said, leaving it in Allah’s hands.
Speaking at a PAS forum, he said the party was duty-bound to accept support even from its political rival in order to ensure syariah law was put in place.
“As of now, we should just take their gesture as sincere. The rest is up to Allah,” he was quoted as saying.
Hadi suggested that opposition from its Pakatan Rakyat allies, the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, had left the party with no other choice.
Referring to the DAP, he said “they keep asking us to delay. How long more do we want to delay. It’s been 20 years. We have clearly stated that hudud is only for Muslims and even so, they keep harassing us,” Malaysian Insider reported.
The DAP has remained resolute in its opposition to hudud being carried out, and withdrew cooperation with PAS in the coalition, maintaining that PAS had reneged on its pledges and that enforcing hudud contravened the secular Federal Constitution.
PKR had also instructed its elected representatives to vote against changes in the law brought to the Kelantan assembly and to Parliament by PAS.
Hadi said: “We have said we want to introduce this only for Muslims, but they kept interfering. So when Umno invited us to negotiate, it is proper for us to negotiate with them. If they are cheating us they will have to deal with Allah.”
