K KANGSAR POLLS Amanah said the party is not against hudud but stressed that it should not be a priority under syariah law.

Instead, tackling 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion that went into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's private accounts should be the priority under syariah law, Perak Amanah chief Asmuni Awi said today.

"Why should we play up so much on the hudud issue, and want it desperately? Hudud is just part of the demands of syariah law.

"Syariah law is not only confined to hudud, it includes eradicating corruption, social justice, human rights and good governance.

"Corruption, misuse of power, 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion (donation) are the major issues that we need to solve first, not hudud," Asmuni said.

Asmuni was responding to a question on why Amanah has yet to make its stand on hudud in the by-elections.

PAS has capitalised on its party president Abdul Hadi Awang's Private Member's Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Juridiction) Act 1965 throughout the campaign period.

While PAS insists the bill is not about hudud, it has attempted to persuade non-Muslims to accept the Islamic criminal law.

However, Asmuni questioned why effort was being put into the "difficult" task of amending the Federal Constitution, when other issues related to the syariah law would be easier to tackle.

He added that hudud could only be enforced once poverty had been eradicated.

"If you were a poor rubber tapper, which one would you choose - hudud or fish?" he asked.

Unlike Brunei, Malaysia practised a parliamentary system, so hudud could not be bulldozed through Parliament, he added.

Asmuni said this would be Amanah's response to the Muslim and non-Muslim community if asked about the matter during the campaign period.

He also responded to PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad's claim that the multi-cornered fights Amanah created in the twin by-elections had given BN the upper hand.

"Who has given the crutches to BN, actually? Before this, MCA and MIC were the crutches, but the Chinese (and Indian) have taken them away.

"Now, who is giving BN the crutches? I don't have to say it. It is definitely not us," he said.

"We are not playing around, we are fighting to form the government, not to become advisers," he said.

Idris had accused Amanah of giving BN crutches by contesting the by-elections, as it would split PAS' votes.