Hot debate over hudud at Keadilan meet, leaders still mum on party stand

comments     Susan Loone     Published     Updated

Keadilan leaders today remained tight-lipped about the party's stand on PAS' controversial Syariah Criminal Offences ( Hudud and Qisas ) law passed in Terengganu recently despite the issue being 'hotly debated' at a marathon meeting last week.

Malaysiakini has learnt that the issue was discussed at length during a closed door meeting on Aug 9 in Shah Alam.

About 40 people comprising members of the supreme council, Youth and Women's wing attended the meeting.

Also discussed was 'what happens next' following the two-year jail sentence imposed on Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor (photo) under the Official Secrets Act for exposing classified documents pertaining to a probe into the alleged corrupt practices of two key politicians.

The all-day meeting also addressed the current controversy surrounding the use of English to teach Science and Mathematics in all schools beginning next year which has raised strong objections from vernacular educationists.

However, it was said that this issue was not as "hotly debated" as the hudud law.

Keadilan supreme council member Khalid Jaafar presented a seven-page document on the hudud law while Youth deputy chief Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, supreme council member Dr Lee Boon Chye and Wanita chief Fuziah Salleh made up the panel of discussion.

Asked to comment, the leaders said the party was unable to issue a public stand on the matter as yet. Their stand will be made known once it is endorsed at the party's supreme council meeting on Aug 22, they added.

Sensitive issue

When contacted in Kedah, Saifuddin said unlike DAP and PRM, Keadilan must be "careful when making stands on sensitive issues like religion" due to its Malay/ Muslim membership.

But the o pinions voiced out on Friday by non-Muslim leaders like Dr Lim Boon Chye and Irene Fernandez (photo) were "of quality, straight to the point and showed signs of tolerance and a attempt to understand", said Saifuddin who is also the Lunas state assembly representative.

"It is not easy to force anything in a multi-racial country. As far as the hudud law goes, our stand now will not be able to change anything. What we can hope to do is only to brighten the situation," he said.

However, Saifuddin refused to divulge the contents of the meeting or the decision by those who attended.

Keadilan is expected to make a stand soon on the hudud law as its non-Muslim leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to explain the controversial issue to at the grassroots level.

While it is difficult for the party's Muslim leaders to publicly denounce the Islamic state or hudud law, some feel uneasy at being apologists for PAS which insists on establishing a theocratic state if it comes to power.

The issue has become a bone of contention resulting in opposition ally DAP breaking away from the Barisan Alternatif last September.

Meanwhile, Lee told malaysiakini that Keadilan would issue a 'policy statement' on the matter.

"We will have the final discussion on Aug 22. All I can say is that it was a good avenue for an exchange of ideas," added Lee who is also Keadilan's political bureau chief.



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