Don’t play with fire, Perkasa says of signature drive against PAS hudud bill

(MMO) – Perkasa today warned the local Chinese community that it was inviting trouble with a signature drive against PAS’s attempt to amend a law that could pave the way for hudud.

Perkasa information chief Hassan Basri Muhammad claimed the Federation of Hokkien Associations Malaysia and Chinese-based political parties opposition to PAS’s Bill amounted to an attempt to interfere in matters involving the rights of Muslims.

“Perkasa views the actions of the Hokkien association that is also supported by the MCA party as being very extreme and very rude, it is feared that it can cause racial and religious enmity and hatred,” he said in a statement today.

Hassan Basri said Malay-Muslims in the country have been respectful of the religious rights of local non-Muslims, citing both Islamic teachings and the Federal Constitution when saying that non-Muslims are given the freedom to practise their religion.

He insisted the PAS Bill is aimed at enhancing the Shariah courts’ powers and directed only towards the Muslims, adding that it does not threaten opponents’ purported vices such as drinking, gambling and adultery.

“Perkasa firmly reminds this group of protesters to not continue to play with fire and religious sensitivities because it is not impossible that the country’s peace is threatened because of the stupidity of this group of protesters,” he said.

Hassan Basri said Perkasa was proposing to seek stern action from the government, adding that it hoped that the police would consider using the Sedition Act.

Yesterday, the Federation of Hokkien Associations of Malaysia’s Tan Sri Khoo Chai Kaa was reported saying that the federation had managed to collect 400,000 signatures since it begun its campaign in June against PAS plans for hudud laws.

“The response on the ground has been very good, and it’s not just from the Chinese, but other non-Muslim races as well,” he was quoted saying by local daily The Star’s portal, adding that the federation believes it can hit its target of one million signatures before the September 20 deadline.

Khoo said the collected signatures would be passed on to all the federal lawmakers before the next Parliament meeting this October, when PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 is expected to come up for debate.

In May, Hadi’s private member’s Bill was fast tracked by the government in Parliament in an unusual move, but the the Bill was deferred to this October’s parliamentary meeting on the request of Hadi.

Hadi has insisted that his private member’s Bill is not meant to introduce hudud law in Kelantan, arguing that it is only intended to expand the range of punishments the Shariah courts can impose and that it also does not carry out punishments required for some of the hudud .

The Bill seeks to empower shariah courts to enforce punishments ― except for the death penalty ― provided in shariah laws for Islamic offences listed under state jurisdiction in the Federal Constitution, without elaborating on the nature of the punishments. Shariah court punishments are currently limited to jail terms not exceeding three years, or whipping of not more than six strokes, or fines of not more than RM5,000.

Yesterday, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said MCA has always rejected Hadi’s private member’s Bill, adding that he was happy to see a lot of support from MCA.