It would be easier to campaign for the implementation of the Islamic penal code hudud in Kelantan if other countries which have implemented the law before were not “failed states”, said PAS’ Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin.

It would have been better, he said, if countries “like Norway” had implemented hudud.

“But right now, we have examples like Pakistan, and this is a failed state,” Hanipa ( right ) said at a forum on hudud implementation in Malaysia at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) yesterday.

Hanipa, however, pleaded to the packed crowd to give the PAS-led Kelantan government “a chance” to try out hudud in the state.

“We had this in our agenda when we went to the general election. And we were given mandate by the people of Kelantan to govern the state. So the people of Kelantan voted us in on this basis. It is our democratic right (to push for it),” Hanipa, who is also a lawyer, said.

He proceeded to tell the crowd that PAS do not have any clear intentions to implement hudud on a national level.

“We do not intend to widen the implementation in Malaysia. As far as we are concerned, we can only implement anything if we are given the mandate, only then we have legitimacy,” he said.

However, when being prodded with questions regarding the implementation of the law, he later admitted that he “personally” did not think hudud is a priority at this time.

“My personal opinion is that this is not the time for hudud, but when you are in a party personal opinions don’t count,” he said.

Hanipa also opined that the current federal constitution in the country is not secular nor Islamic in its character, thus it would not be unconstitutional to try amend the constitution to introduce an Islamic penal code.