Zaid: Post-Karpal, DAP left meek on hudud

 

Without a vocal opponent to an Islamic state in the form of the late Karpal Singh, DAP will be meek on the matter and will not be able to oppose its Muslim Pakatan Rakyat partners, says former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim.

In fact, Zaid wrote on his blog, DAP will have to toe the line in Pakatan just as MCA is forced to do so in BN, so as to not rock the boat.

“In the end, DAP will be like MCA and will only raise its occasional voice of disapproval to the hudud plan, as intructed to by the Malay-majority partners. When that happens, we will miss Karpal more than ever,” he said.

Zaid, who once took the Kelantan government to court for its enactment to implement hudud, said Muslims in Pakatan and the DAP will not be able to speak out even if they oppose hudud.

'Malay members won't say anything'

“The party's (DAP's) Malay members will not say anything to suggest that they are opposed to hudud.

“They are like the Malays in Umno and PKR – they need to pretend that they are God-fearing on this issue,” Zaid said.

Although there are many in civil society, including Muslims, brave enough to speak out against the implementation of hudud in Malaysia, he said these voices are absent in politics.

He said that when Karpal spoke against hudud, it was actually because he was “more than just a political leader” but wanted to safeguard the nation's founding principles.

“He spoke with conviction and moral fervour. He was a believer of democratic rights and a relentless defender of the rule of the law, as other Commonwealth countries understand it.

“We will miss his clarity and unequivocal support for a Malaysia that is free from autocrats, oligarchs and the religious clergy,” Zaid said.

Karpal, who was Bukit Gelugor MP, died in a road accident last Thursday.

DAP acting chaiperson Tan Kok Wai (right) said this morning that DAP's stand against the hudud is not changed.

"Our position on hudud has remained unchanged, DAP is not changing its stand, and it will not change," Tan told a press conference.

The party's organising secretary, Anthony Loke, added: "Karpal's stance has always been DAP's stance. He has always reiterated that. Thus, there should be no issue."