Ming Hoe brought up some well-founded concerns over PAS' Islamic-state blueprint . My letter intends to pose some further questions to PAS and the Alternative Front (BA) with regard to this blueprint:

1) If the blueprint is already ready, why is PAS hesitating to release for public scrutiny? Opposition parties are always complaining of the lack of time during the elections to get their agenda out to the public. Wouldn't a longer period of public scrutiny benefit the Malaysian public and PAS' agenda, since many non-Muslims don't currently have faith in the PAS administration?

2) According to the Straits Times report on June 12, syariah will be the supreme law of the land. How will this affect the Malaysian Federal Constitution? Will it be discarded and will syariah laws replace it?

3) The article goes on to state that Muslims and non-Muslims will have different penal codes. How will this affect our criminal justice system? What happens when a non-Muslim man rapes a woman? Will he be charged under syariah or the common law? What happens when a Muslim man rapes a woman? The mechanics of justice in both the systems vary significantly and clarification is needed as to how PAS intends to fairly implement the dual penal code policy.

4) In effect, PAS' blueprint redefines the mechanics of racism in this country. Rather than discriminating along racial lines, it will use religious lines. Why can't a non-Muslim, who is knowledgeable about Islam and who is seen as an individual who is a capable leader, lead the country?

The next part of my letter seeks some answers from BA:

  • What is the view of the other BA members with regard to this blueprint?

  • DAP is currently negotiating electoral seats with Keadilan, which is a member of the BA. What is DAP's position with regard to this blueprint and how will this affect its co-operation with Keadilan?

  • The Keadilan slogan is 'Justice for All'. Does Keadilan believe that under an Islamic-state leadership, it can uphold the concept?

    • I hope to get answers to my questions. One reason why BA did not make an impact in the last elections is because there was a lot of uncertainty within the coalition.

    Hopefully, BA will choose to iron out these grey areas as soon as possible and provide more information to the public. This would enable people to judge the BA policies and give the coalition a fair go in the next elections.

    I believe that this blueprint could seriously damage the credibility of the BA if not explained properly to the public.