I hope they know what they’ve done, Dr M says of Kelantan Umno’s hudud support
(Malay Mail Online) – Insisting again that PAS’ hudud move in Kelantan was a political manoeuvre, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he hopes Kelantan Umno understands the repercussions of its decision to back the controversial Islamic law.
He told Umno’s state chapter that PAS’ hudud law is its own version of the Islamic criminal justice system that was born of the party’s intention to gain political favour.
This, he said, makes the law and any move to support it un-Islamic.
“I was shocked when I heard that Kelantan Umno supported PAS’ hudud,” he wrote on his blog tonight.
“I hope,” he added, “they (Kelantan Umno) understand what they’ve done. PAS’ hudud is not Islam’s hudud because it is extremely unfair, when the al-Quran demands justice when meting punishments.”
Dr Mahathir said it is unfair to punish Muslims by way of amputation and death by stoning when non-Muslims are given lighter sentences for similar crimes.
“Therefore, PAS’ hudud is not Islam’s hudud,” he insisted.
Expounding his point that PAS’ hudud manoeuvre in Kelantan was purely a political move, Dr Mahathir pointed out that in a statement ahead of the 11th general election, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had suggested ditching his party’s Islamic state agenda for the sake of forming a political alliance with secular DAP in the Barisan Alternatif alliance in order to topple Barisan Nasional (BN).
As such, Dr Mahathir said the amendments passed last month to Kelantan’s law on hudud “cannot be accepted as Islam’s penal code”.
He reiterated that with PAS’ hudud only applying to Muslims, the unequal penalties handed out to followers of different faiths also go against the teachings of Islam.
According to the former prime minister, Shariah law in Malaysia was restricted to familial matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance.
Noting that Hadi had replied to his criticism of hudud recently by pointing out that he was no expert on the subject, Dr Mahathir said he could say the same of the PAS leader’s knowledge of how to govern a state.
“As a trained medical professional, I can identify illnesses, including even illnesses in an administration, and I can treat it.
“I am not so ignorant in matters of religion,” he insisted.
The Kelantan state assembly approved the Shariah Criminal Code (II) (1993) 2015 Enactment on March 19 with 31 votes from PAS lawmakers supported by 12 from Umno.
PAS also submitted a private member’s Bill to Parliament to remove the legal obstacles that prevent the enforcement of hudud in Kelantan, which require bipartisan support from Umno and other to pass.
The Bill could not make it into the august House’s April agenda, however, and will have to be tabled in the coming May sitting.
