INTERVIEW Implementing hudud only when a particular state is free from poverty would be impossible, opines Deputy Kelantan Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah.

Amar said this in response to criticisms that Kelantan should only implement hudud when none of the rakyat are poor that they will not have to resort to theft.

“Can you tell me where in the world which has such a state?

“It’s like utopia; utopia is something which cannot be achieved, it’s impossible,” Amar told Malaysiakini in a recent interview.

Citing the time of Prophet Muhammad where the majority of people were poor including the Prophet himself, Amar said criminal law was still in effect as it served to punish criminals and not the poor.

“If everyone in a particular society is good, what is the problem?”

The deputy menteri besar also does not belief that now was not the time to implement hudud as Kelantan’s economic state was still considered poor.

“We have made efforts, economically, and we have also worked on other programmes.

“But this (hudud) is part of administration. You cannot expect us to focus on one thing only.

“The government is like a supermarket, where many things such as clothes, food and accessories are sold. The government is just like that,” he said.

Responding to concerns on the implementation of hudud itself, rather than the law, Amar said concern in anything was only natural.

“Does a person get scared of buying a car because he or she is scared of getting into accidents?

“Is that the right opinion? Planes crash, does that mean we would not get on a plane? We can’t run away from accidents,” he added.

Admitting that there would be one or two mistakes in a particular case, Amar nevertheless said the state government will try its best in implementing the Islamic criminal law.

“The most important premise in our perspective is implementing what is required by the religion because in Islam, when we have political power and we are the government, one of the things we have to do is upholding Islamic criminal law.

“And after 23 years, we feel that this is the right time,” he said.

The Kelantan state legislative assembly last Thursday had unanimously passed a Bill to amend the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code II 1993, an initial step to enable hudud to be implemented in the state.

Hope it will act as a deterrent

Meanwhile, further stressing that the main purpose of hudud was for prevention, Amar said the state government harbours hope that the harsh punishments will deter people from committing crime.

“Nowadays, people are not worried to commit crime, because they know the worse case scenario is that they will be fined with either RM400 or RM500.

“So they do not have fear (to commit crime). But (with hudud), when committing theft, one’s hand will be chopped off, a person will think twice or three times before stealing,” he said.

Commenting on the rising case of snatch thefts, Amar said many women have died due to such crimes.

“How many women have died because of snatch thefts. They get pulled (during snatch thefts), they fall and get their heads injured and they die just like that.

“The perpetrator only gets imprisoned for a week and if they caused death, will be imprisoned for 20 years.”

Meanwhile, commenting on what would happen should the state government’s private member's bill on hudud in Parliament be rejected, Amar said they will find other means to ensure that hudud is implemented in the state.

“We will stop if Parliament rejects it. But we will find other ways.

“There are several options, but now is not the right time to explain further because we have legal opinions as well.

“But whatever it is, we want to use the constitutional way,” he said.

Last Wednesday, Amar had urged PAS’ coalition partner DAP to allow the democratic process to run its course in relation to the state government’s move to implement hudud laws in the state.