Having clearly declared its position not to support PAS' hudud push in Parliament, PKR went on the offensive against BN's teetering over the coalition's own official position on the matter.

However, the confident front by PKR does not conceal the fact that the party is in an uncomfortable position.

Despite its stand, PKR cannot guarantee that its lawmakers would adhere should the hudud bill be tabled in Parliament.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's thinly-veiled broadside today on Muslim leaders in PKR is bound to add pressure, where the choice boils down to between religion or party.

Abdul Hadi had described PKR's justification not to support his private member's bill to pave the way for the implementation of hudud as mere "parroting" of Islamic concepts without actual understanding.

While PKR said it would not support the bill, the party's Muslim MPs who do not want to be seen as rejecting hudud, which many consider as an Islamic obligation, can choose not to attend Parliament or abstain.

The simple act of not showing up or abstaining is tantamount to passive support for the private member's bill to pass, as it only requires a simple majority of MPs in attendance and not the full 222 members in the House.

PKR has a total of 28 MPs, 16 of whom are Muslims. However, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Permatang Pauh MP, will not be able to vote as he is in prison.

In contrast, only two of 37 DAP MPs are Muslims, one of whom, Zairil Khir Johari, had declared that he would not back the bill.

If all Umno and PAS MPs vote in support of the private member's bill, they would have a total of 109 votes and a mere five absentees or abstentions from the other side can tip the balance.

This is assuming that all remaining non-Umno and non-PAS MPs would be present to vote against the bill.

The five absentees or abstentions would see the 113 votes against the bill dwindle to 108 against 109 votes in favour.

Passing the buck to Najib

Therefore, if PKR does not want to see the bill passed, it must not only declare its refusal to support it but also instruct its MPs to be present and vote against the bill, thus putting Muslim MPs in a difficult situation in dealing with their supporters.

PKR is not ready to navigate through this minefield and is hinging on BN’s decision to rescue it from such a conflict.

"We will wait for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's stance because at this moment, it is all speculation," said PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

"It is likely that the private member's bill would not be tabled anyway.

"Najib's stance is expected to put to rest this hudud issue and the private member's bill," added the Pandan lawmaker, who is also PKR secretary-general.

Like PKR, Najib also finds himself trapped between a rock and a hard place.

All BN component parties have made it clear that they are against the private member's bill but several Umno top leaders have told their partners to butt out and are in favour of supporting PAS' effort.

Nonetheless, a small number out of Umno's 88 MPs, including outspoken Padang Rengas MP Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, have voiced out against the implementation of hudud.

Whatever decision Najib makes is bound to upset some quarters in BN and to date, the premier's expected stance since last week has not come forth.

An alternative for the premier is to ensure the bill would never arise for a vote by simply ignoring it as a private members' bill is normally queued behind government bills and would not see the light of day without Putrajaya's backing.

Najib can also wait it out pending a constitutional challenge from Gerakan against hudud.

The private member's bill seeks to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 to remove the cap on the punishments that can be meted out by Syariah Courts.

At present, the Syariah Courts can only sentence someone to up to three years in prison, a fine of up to RM5,000 or a maximum of six lashes.

Removing the cap would allow the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code (II) Enactment 1993, which includes punishments such as up to 80 lashes and stoning to death to be implemented, notwithstanding constitutional issues.

Ultimately, PAS and Umno's flirting with hudud has placed political parties on both sides of the divide in a difficult position with regard to the clash in voting along party lines and their conscience.