DAP is willing to discuss with PAS on why fighting corruption is more important than trying to force the implementation of hudud in Malaysia
PAS syura council member Zaharudin Muhammad’s challenge to debate DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng about hudud law is indeed a strange proposal. It seems that Zaharudin, who is the son-in-law of the PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, seriously wanted to know the DAP’s stand on hudud.
If he actually spends time to read or to talk to any of DAP's leaders, he would have known that the DAP’s stand on hudud and its implementation, in the words of Lim Kit Siang, “is the same as the stand taken by the first three prime ministers of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak Hussein and Hussein Onn that hudud laws go against the Malaysian constitution which provides for a secular state with Islam as the religion of the federation and freedom of worship guaranteed for other religions”.
As a Malaysian and a Muslim, I strongly believe that our priority should be in the absolute eradication of corruption from our country; after all, corruption is the root of most evils that exist in our society today.
With that being said, I would like to throw this challenge back to Zaharudin Muhammad: let us - you and I - debate on this matter instead. We should discuss this matter based on facts, and not pure emotion or any form of threats, so that the rest of Malaysia can understand the seriousness of the issue.
Zaharudin must understand that the line that separates Malaysia as a secular state from an Islamic state has been blurred too often, and as a result, most of us have seem to have forgotten that our federal constitution is indeed secular.
Being secular does not mean DAP is against Islam or any other religion. What it means is being tolerant, friendly and respectful to all religions. We believe that all are equal before the law.
PAS has once again, shown its true colours through its feverish desire to implement hudud - even only if it will be practised in Kelantan.
Never mind that Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation where civil laws have been laid out by our forefathers to protect each and every citizen with sound moral judgment and fairness.
Never mind if this could single-handedly destroy what the founding members of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition had sought out to establish - setting aside our differences and uniting as a coalition for the sake of much needed reforms of this country.
Never mind if this can devastate voter morale, especially those of our non-Muslim Malaysian brothers and sisters who wholeheartedly believed in the 'Pas-4-All' movement.
DAP is a party that believes in preserving the rights of all Malaysians regardless of race, religion and gender. We believe in upholding equality and solidarity.
We believe in the importance of maintaining harmonious ethnic relations with fellow Malaysians from all walks of life, as this is what democracy and societal evolution or progress is about. Living in a multi-cultural society, it is only natural for Malaysians to question the idea thoroughly.
Perhaps Zaharudin should ask himself, is he against democracy, freedom, social justice, human rights, gender equality and equal opportunity?
SYERLEENA ABDUL RASHID is Bukit Bendera Dapsy secretary and Bukit Bendera DAP Wanita political education director in Penang.
