EXCLUSIVE DAP's Teluk Intan by-election candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud would vote against the implementation of hudud law in Malaysia if she wins and such a Bill is tabled in Parliament, she told Malaysiakini today.

In an interview at her operations centre in Bandar Baru Teluk Intan, the 27-year-old stressed that she was not against hudud, but implementation in Malaysia is not feasible before socio-economic issues can be addressed.

"My stand on hudud is the same as the party stand," she said.

And she insists that she being against the implementation of hudud in a multi-racial country like Malaysia did not make her "any less of a Muslim."

By nomination day tomorrow, Dyana (right) will be one of the few Muslims to contest on the DAP ticket, but she believes that the hudud will not be an issue that will be widely scrutinised in this by-election.

The DAP's stand that hudud cannot be implemented in Malaysia as it is a secular state, has long been used by detractors to accuse the party of being anti-Islam.

Its opposite stance from PAS, which has for many years pushed for the implementation of the Islamic penal code, has also been a thorn in the side of Pakatan Rakyat cooperation.  

"I don't think it will be an issue. Even Gerakan for that matter is not in favour of hudud," she said.

Resistance from Malay voters

Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong will be Dyana's opponent for the May 31 election

Similarly, the Perak-born lass also does not expect to face the same resistance like the ones she faced in Gelang Patah while serving as DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang's political secretary.

There, she was forced out of a Malay village when she visited the area on behalf of Lim.

"But one can't be too prepared. Even in that case, it is my job, I will go and meet them (Malay voters). This is my task," she said, appearing unfazed.

Changkat Jong, a state seat within the Teluk Intan parliamentary enclave, is a Malay heartland now being held by Umno, and Dyana seems to adopting a different approach whenever she travels to address the Malay crowd.

Last night, while launching the PAS machinery for the by-election, she draped a scarf over her head although she usually does not wear the tudung (left) .

But she stresses that wearing a tudung is not an indication of how Malay a person is.

"Wearing the tudung is a personal choice. It's between me and God. There are many female Malay leaders in our country who do not wear a tudung, that has not been a problem," she said.

At this juncture, the outspoken political greenhorn broke into a naughty smile but refuses to elaborate further other than to say that it was a mark of respect.

"I wore a selendang yesterday night, out of respect to the organiser. They did not ask me to do so, But I did it out of respect to the crowd.”

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