Hudud becomes a political tool

China Press 2 June 2016

The by-elections of Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar parliamentary seats are around the corner. The private member’s bill moved by PAS president Hadi Awang finally gets a chance to appear. If not without the silent consent of Umno, the main party in Barisan Nasional, would Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina, who is in charge of parliament affairs, allows the bill to be called?

Non-Muslim political leaders in Barisan Nasional, at this moment, should be courageous enough to say: not assisting to campaign in these two by-elections. Tell Umno in their action not to ignore the Barisan Nasional spirit for the political party’s interest. As the by-elections are around the corner, Umno cohorts with PAS by raising sensitive issues in religion. Otherwise Umno would continue to belittle non-Muslim political parties without respecting them.

The private member’s bill tabled by Hadi Awang is actually a first step towards opening the door to implement hudud law. Let’s not talk about the opposition on the ground first. Judging from Barisan National’s No 1 Najib’s remark on “misunderstanding” with non-Muslim leaders in media, this shows Umno does not take Barisan Nasional spirit into consideration. Hudud law is a tool of political parties and politicians. It is used to provoke racial sentiment in order to garner votes. Such tactic used in elections or by-elections are often effective.

PAS used to defend Islam in its ultimate target to achieve Islamic state. Hence, the party finds all ways to have hudud law. This is understood. Nevertheless Umno has on many occasions singing to the tune of PAS. It is not genuine in pushing for hudud law in a multi-racial and multi-religious country but to collaborate with PAS during some specific period of time. Non-Muslim political leaders in Umno may just protest in a mild manner but not daring enough to have drastic reaction.

No one country two systems

Hadi tabled the private member’s bill to expand the criminal jurisdiction of syariah courts but did not ask for the bill to be debated and passed before the end of sitting for the day. This showed that he was not committed to implement hudud but fishing for Muslims’ votes during the two by-elections.

MCA president Liow Tiong Lai, instead of calling all Malaysians to defend the Federal Constitution and does not rule out the possibility of working with opposition parties to stop the passing of private member’s bill in parliament, should team up with other non-Muslim political party leaders in Barisan Nasional in order to tell Najib and Umno honestly that Malaysia is a secular country. A country should not have two sets of judicial systems.

Instead of holding grudges against a dominant husband and only sulks in protest, when is time to wake up?