Pressure on Anwar to clarify stand on Hudud Laws

KUALA LUMPUR — More voices have joined the roiling debate over hudud, with Wanita MCA adding to the number of those calling for Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to clarify Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) stand on the matter.

Earlier today, DAP chairman Karpal Singh had also repeated his call for Anwar to “break his silence, as DAP has done so” with regards to the support for hudud by Pas, the third partner of the coalition.

Pas vice-president Datuk Husam Musa had said that the Islamist party has not forgotten its aim to implement hudud, which prescribes amputation, whipping and stoning for criminal offences, should it come into power.

When DAP criticised the statement, Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat challenged DAP to make its case as to why hudud laws are not acceptable.

“Husam’s statement has resulted in anxiety among non-Muslims in the country. Pas firmly insisting on introducing hudud has ignored the fact that Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious country and the spirit of Federal Constitution”, Wanita MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said today.

Given that Karpal and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng have already asked Anwar to clarify, Chew said that the de facto PKR leader must “respect the request of the two DAP leaders and respond to Husam's remark accordingly.”

“If Anwar decides to keep quiet, there are only two possibilities, one; Anwar agrees with the remark made by Husam to implement hudud or DAP has been marginalised in PR,” she said.

Karpal had this morning said that the backing of hudud was hurting Pas's credibility and it should be more careful about breaking ranks in the future.

He reminded reporters of the electoral alliance in 1999 where Pas had agreed not to include the formation of an Islamic state in the manifesto.

However, two days before the election, Pas announced it would establish an Islamic state if it took over the state government of Terengganu. Karpal insisted that this proclamation had cost many DAP leaders, including himself and Lim Kit Siang, to lose in the general elections.

With that in mind, he said that DAP had limited “political patience” but was satisfied for now that Husam has backtracked in stating that Pas must obtain a consensus from its PR partners.

“We will still campaign and give our full support to whichever candidate is selected for the Kuala Terengganu by-election,” he assured. (TheMalaysianInsider)