Malay DAP leaders stand by party in opposing hudud

comments     Beh Lih Yi     Published     Updated

Two Malay DAP leaders are standing by their party's opposition to the hudud laws of the PAS-led Terengganu government.

DAP deputy secretary-general Zulkifli Mohd Noor told malaysiakini that as a Muslim he was not going against his religion by opposing PAS's hudud law.

"It is not against any Islamic values. The Terengganu hudud law is not God-made law, it's man-made. It has been amended by PAS," he said when contacted recently.

He added that his party's stand on the matter is very clear. "The DAP is against the Hudud Bill spearheaded by Abdul Hadi Awang in Terengganu".

"It does not matter if the hudud law was proposed by PAS or the ruling BN government. We will oppose it because it is a man-made law. DAP is never opposed to Allah's hudud law, " he stressed.

Zulkifli also urged non-Muslims to initiate legal action against Terengganu's hudud law as it contravenes the Federal Constitution.

He said that PAS should have conducted a more comprehensive study before deciding on implementing hudud.

According to Zulkifli, some countries with more than 95 percent Muslim population do not impose such strict Islamic laws

"We must ask why they are not imposing such laws? There must be a good reason why they are not doing so," he said.

Law kept on the shelf

Another Malay leader from the party, central committee member Abdul Rahman Said Alli said the Terengganu government was not serious about implementing the hudud law.

"They passed the law only to be kept on the shelf because they are afraid of any resistance from the people," he told malaysiakini .

He said that from the proposal stage to the passing of the bill in the state assembly, PAS did not consult the people who voted them to power on the law.

"Did the PAS state government hold a referendum on this matter?" he asked. He stressed that any law which affects the people must "come from the people" and should not be based on a particular religion.

The controversial Hudud Bill was passed by the Terengganu government recently, even after facing vigorous opposition, particularly from the federal government, political parties, non-governmental organisations and women's groups.

The provisions relating to rape, seen as being discriminatory towards women, were among those which came under heavy criticism

Besides that, the law will also criminalise theft, robbery, extramarital sex, liquor consumption, apostasy and armed rebellion.

Why police cannot help

In a related development, Gerakan vice-president Dr S Vijayaratnam said that Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was correct in saying that the police cannot help the Terengganu government enforce its hudud and qisas laws as these enactments are against the Federal Constitution.

"Criminal law and penalties come under the purview of Parliament. Hence the police cannot be expected to assist in the enforcement of this illegal piece of legislation," he said in a statement today.

"If any person proceeds, presumably under state directive, to perform the procedure of amputation of hand or foot, he could be guilty of grevious hurt.

"If anyone indulges in the prescribed stoning to death, then he can be charged with murder. These in themselves are serious crimes, and the full force of the penal code, with all its provisions, could be brought down on enforcers and perpetrators of this unauthorised and unlawful legislation.

"Under existing statutes, the police will have to charge the punishers, not the punished," Vijayaratnam added.



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