COMMENT There is no point asking or debating what it is or if these are laws for this century’s Muslims or whether it is for Kelantan or for the whole of Malaysia. No point asking how the hand will be ‘guillotined’ or if a rapist will get away under hudud.

 

All of these have been written, debated and are still being discussed - definitely to no end - but for the fact that hudud is still very much a sexy subject, that is, for those outside Kelantan.

 

As for those in Kelantan, one can spend the whole day going around asking Kelantanese whether they are for hudud or not. You will probably get answers as colourful as their reactions when supermarket queues were first ‘gender sensitised’.

 

For the non-Kelantanese, however, hudud is interesting no matter how you look at it - almost like a spherical crystal ball emanating rays of endless colours.

 

One truly has to give credit to PAS for having given a red herring to political parties in Malaysia. For without hudud, one cannot bash PAS and be seen to be for non-Muslims. On the other hand, without hudud, one cannot talk about being for Muslims and be seen to be aspiring to be pious and attaining heaven.

 

The fact whether it gets implemented or not is another story altogether. For, can one even remember Malaysian politics without hudud being brought up? Perhaps very long ago.

 

The hudud issue may be likened to the ‘Allah’ ban for non-Muslims. The difference is that the ‘Allah’ issue can only be whipped left and right, while hudud has so many issues which are inexhaustive, as is always the case in human-made laws in the name of the divine power.

 

Furthermore, hudud is so engrossingly interesting, especially when it has all the elements of crime and body parts in it - the discussion of hudud by PAS big wigs sometimes puts the TV series CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) to shame.

 

Muslims in all parties will take stands - moderate and extremist, willing and unwilling. Some non-Muslims will say so long as it is for Muslims, they are for it; while others say hudud must not be for anyone, even if Muslims want it.

 

Carrot for the kampung folk

 

PAS has been dangling the hudud issue, used to symbolise their piety, as the carrot to get votes from their key voters - the kampung folk.

 

One PAS leader, when asked why not ditch hudud, asked, “What are we then to tell the kampung people?

 

“We told them that we are an Islamic party and we will implement hudud and they voted for us for we told them we are here to put God’s laws in this land. Even if we cannot implement hudud, we must still be seen to strive for it.”

In fact, despite them seemingly in the final push for hudud, many top party bigwigs remain unconvinced that hudud will be implemented in Kelantan.

 

Moderate PAS leaders still insist there will be no hudud, no Islamic state but a welfare state, and hudud is something the party has shelved for now.

 

The man who was appointed as the Kelantan spokesperson for hudud is Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Abdullah.

 

He had time and again said that hudud will only be implemented "when the time is right, (and) the people are ready - at least mentally."

 

With the present rush to push the private bill to implement hudud in the Kelantan state assembly on Dec 29, the question remains: Are the Kelantan people ready for it, mentally, when many are still ignorant of the basic facts, even among the PAS members?

 

Mohd Amar had also repeatedly said that the implementation of hudud has to be done properly, over fear of overzealous executors, as has happened in countries like Pakistan and Nigeria.

 

Many in PAS say the main problem in Kelantan is Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob ( left ). They say he is a man who is not keen on weighing the political success of hudud.

 

It is true Ahmad Yakob is not the shrewd politician like his predecessor, Nik Aziz Nik Mat. Some say Nik Aziz’s political shrewdness is second only to that of his most bitter enemy, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

 

Ahmad Yakob, ever since he sat on the MB’s seat, does not mince his words. He has wanted hudud from the day he took office.

 

Nik Aziz shelved the implementation of hudud when Mahathir threatened to cut off federal aid to the state. Ahmad Yakob has probably failed to see Umno suddenly making a U-turn on the matter and now wanting to support hudud.

 

One cheeky PAS member quipped, “Perhaps the MB wants to go to heaven fast and he does not mind if the bird he flies on is Umno’s.”

 

A piece of advice

 

Like it or not, PAS will stay on in the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat, and DAP will continue to bash PAS, while at the same time holding the hands of moderate leaders within the Islamic party.

 

From the looks of it, it is not likely that DAP or PAS will leave Pakatan over hudud - the coalition is their political survival. They will tell everyone they agreed to disagree, as they are wont to do every time.

 

After all, DAP needs the votes of the kampung folk and PAS needs the non-Malay votes. Therefore, they will both beat each other on the head over hudud and yet will still get into that big Pakatan bed and snuggle in with PKR for the sake of riding into Putrajaya, with or without hudud.

 

All said, Ahmad Yakob and his eager band of followers who are rushing to shut everyone up on the hudud issue by pushing ahead with the special sitting to discuss the tabling of a private member's bill in Parliament for Kelantan to enforce hudud, would do well to take this small advice.

                                   

It is from their now ailing PAS’ spiritual leader and former menteri besar of Kelantan Nik Aziz Nik Mat ( left ), who days before he stepped down from the MB post, called on PAS members not to follow their leaders blindly and to continue questioning them on matters of faith.

 

“PAS allows its members to question as Islam asks us to be convinced and have faith. If we talk only and people listen, they will not be convinced. To be convinced, one has to question.

 

“Only one thing cannot be questioned - that of whether God is black and white. Other than that, everything can be questioned.

 

“Islam itself makes it compulsory to question. How can you be convinced if you do not question? If you only listen, that is called blind following. Following blindly is not allowed in Islam,” said Nik Aziz.

 

Ahmad Yakob and gang should fear if Kelantanese suddenly decide they want to be convinced on hudud and start questioning their leaders on it.

                                                                                                           

ZAKIAH KOYA is a member of the Malaysiakini team.