Several people who attended a luncheon gathering in Penang with Terengganu Menteri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang on Sunday were perturbed by his statement that non-Muslims would have no policy-making role in an Islamic state.

Keadilan Bukit Bendera (Penang) divisional head Raymond Ong said the matter remains "a big question mark" and should be raised with the PAS leadership.

"While PAS policies are basically right, they are religion-based. Where does this leave us non-Muslims?" said Ong when met after the luncheon attended by about100 people.

However, in an interview with malaysiakini the next day, Hadi clarified that non-Muslims could take part in making policies in an Islamic government on general issues such as housing and transportation.

He said an Islamic government is open to participation from anyone, regardless of religion and race, which would enable it to be fair and transparent to everyone.

Hadi, who is also PAS acting president and the country's parliamentary opposition leader, added that if justice is to be meted out to non-Muslims, it would be necessary they participate in making the relevant policies.

He cited Penang as an example where it would be only be fair for an Islamic government to appoint a non-Muslim to head the state as this would uphold the rights of the majority without neglecting the interests of the Muslim minority.

During the 90-minute dialogue in Penang, Hadi defended Islamic laws, saying that they were a deterrent to crime and that "those who are not criminals should not be afraid of these laws".

He said although the punishments seemed harsh it could be made lighter.

He explained that a murder accused may only need to pay compensation if the victim's family members forgave his crime.

Fear factor

During the question-and-answer session, a participant said that hudud laws were feared not only by criminals but ordinary people as well, just as how the Internal Security Act is feared.

The participant, Ong Boon Keong, questioned the logic of Hadi's explanation that a murder convict can escape the gallows if the victim's family members forgave him.

"What if family members conspire to kill their father for property and frame someone else for it? Such laws may be the end of justice for the country," he said.

In reply, Hadi said the "fear" is testimony to how the great the law is or else crimes will be an unresolved problem.

"If laws are not feared then what is the use of having them? Look at the positive side, if there are about 30,000 to 40,000 thieves in Malaysia, do not think that there will be 30,000 or 40,000 hands chopped, see it as 30,000 to 40,000 thieves who will stop stealing," he said.

Hadi said common laws could not solve the country's crime problems. Prisons, he said, may not rehabilitate a criminal effectively but may instead affect him negatively or make him a worse.

"Stealing and murder are diseases of society and threaten the security of a city.

"People cannot sleep well when they are around. These criminal are feared and they are hard-hearted, that is why their wrongdoings cannot be treated lightly," he said.

Still the same

Under Hadi, who is known as a 'firebrand' because of his hardline Islamic policies, the Terengganu government recently passed the controversial Hudud Bill.

The bill evoked strong criticism from various quarters and was denounced of being discriminatory towards women.

Although, the PAS leader appears to be trying to shed his radical image by attending roadshows and meet-the-people sessions, some say he has not changed.

Lawyer Manjeet Singh, who attended the luncheon, said he had been following Hadi's political career since the 1980s.

"He hasn't changed at all. He has been consistent in his statements and remarks on Islamic policies," he said.

However, the Chinese participants were largely happy with PAS' support of mother-tongue education and its objection to the government's proposal to teach Science and Mathematics in English.