If Pakatan Rakyat forms the federal government, then the threat of hudud being implemented is real both politically and economically.
COMMENT
By Shen Yee Aun
I would like to help MCA publicity bureau chief Kow Cheong Wei on certain points that he had missed out during his debate against DAP’s Hew Kuan Yew on Thursday night.
Hew said there were less than two-third Muslim MPs in Parliament and it needed the consent of at least 148 MPs to push for an amendment to the Constitution to introduce hudud.
“Out of the 222 MPs in Parliament, only 107 MPs from the Peninsular are Muslims. If we add the East Malaysian Muslim MPs, there will only be 130.
“Besides, our constituency delineation is such that there are only 136 Muslim-majority seats, with more than 61% of the voters being Muslims,” said Hew.
Hew’s calculation is based on the current political scenario where in total there are only 130 Muslim MPs in Parliament. He must not neglect the current political reality where his calculation is based on the the current government ruled by Barisan Nasional.
The hudud calculation is only impossible in the BN political structure because mathematically the maximum number of Muslim MPs from BN even if they win all their seats will only be 117 MPs from Umno. It is almost impossible to have a Muslim/Malay MP from MCA, MIC, PPP and other BN component parties. So hudud is only mathematically impossible if BN rules.
As for Pakatan Rakyat, the number of their Muslim MPs can be intangible and hard to predict because any Muslim candidate can represent both DAP and PKR in the general election.
Moreover, DAP themselves have already pledged to introduce few potential Muslim/Malay candidates in the upcoming general election. So to have an extra 18 MPs from both PKR and DAP to reach 148 for hudud to be implemented is possible.
Hew also claimed that our constituency delineation is such that there are only 136 Muslim-majority seats. But he forgot to include the number of Muslim candidates and MPs from mixed constituencies.
Basically, Pakatan just needs an additional 12 seats from Muslim MPs contesting in mixed seats to reach 148 for hudud to be implemented.
It’s not all about mathematics
So when we claim that hudud is possible and a potential threat, this is a political reality based on when Pakatan governs the country and not based on the calculation where the current government is helmed by BN.
Hew also forgot to include the factor of the potential strength of the upcoming prime minister. What if the majority of Muslims MPs in Pakatan decide to elect (PAS president Abdul) Hadi Awang as their prime minister.
Having the influence of a prime minister will also increase support among the non MuslimPakatan MPs for Hadi for their own political survival in the coalition and government. Mathematically, the number of Muslim MPs from Pakatan will be more than the number of Muslim MPs from BN.
Mathematically, Pakatan’s strong performance in the last general election also led to Parliament witnessing a decrease of seven non Muslim MPs.
Even if their choice is Anwar Ibrahim for prime minister, Anwar has pledged his personal support for the implementation of hudud and never once dared to object to it like how Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has done.
Even Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who seems pro-Malay has never once made a stand or expressed personal support for hudud.
In politics, sometimes it is not all about mathematics. Just look at Perak where DAP won three times the number of seats compared to PAS but the menteri besar came from PAS.
Despite DAP existing in Kelantan, its leaders have never been able to block PAS’ Islamic state agenda in the state.
A similar situation is also unfolding in Kedah – bumiputera housing loan has been increased from 30% to 50% and then from 50% to 70%, pork abbatoirs were banned, gambling was banned and the list goes on even without a 2/3.
Let us talk about Selangor where PAS is the least dominant political party. Do they actually need to be a strong political powerhouse or obtain 2/3 support to raid 7/11 outlets for selling alcohol beverages? What about the ban imposed on a cinema in Bangi back then?
In conclusion, the threat of hudud under Pakatan is real, be it politically or mathematically.
Shen Yee Aun is a political observer and former Klang DAP Youth chief.
COMMENT
By Shen Yee AunI would like to help MCA publicity bureau chief Kow Cheong Wei on certain points that he had missed out during his debate against DAP’s Hew Kuan Yew on Thursday night.
Hew said there were less than two-third Muslim MPs in Parliament and it needed the consent of at least 148 MPs to push for an amendment to the Constitution to introduce hudud.
“Out of the 222 MPs in Parliament, only 107 MPs from the Peninsular are Muslims. If we add the East Malaysian Muslim MPs, there will only be 130.
“Besides, our constituency delineation is such that there are only 136 Muslim-majority seats, with more than 61% of the voters being Muslims,” said Hew.
Hew’s calculation is based on the current political scenario where in total there are only 130 Muslim MPs in Parliament. He must not neglect the current political reality where his calculation is based on the the current government ruled by Barisan Nasional.
The hudud calculation is only impossible in the BN political structure because mathematically the maximum number of Muslim MPs from BN even if they win all their seats will only be 117 MPs from Umno. It is almost impossible to have a Muslim/Malay MP from MCA, MIC, PPP and other BN component parties. So hudud is only mathematically impossible if BN rules.
As for Pakatan Rakyat, the number of their Muslim MPs can be intangible and hard to predict because any Muslim candidate can represent both DAP and PKR in the general election.
Moreover, DAP themselves have already pledged to introduce few potential Muslim/Malay candidates in the upcoming general election. So to have an extra 18 MPs from both PKR and DAP to reach 148 for hudud to be implemented is possible.
Hew also claimed that our constituency delineation is such that there are only 136 Muslim-majority seats. But he forgot to include the number of Muslim candidates and MPs from mixed constituencies.
Basically, Pakatan just needs an additional 12 seats from Muslim MPs contesting in mixed seats to reach 148 for hudud to be implemented.
It’s not all about mathematics
So when we claim that hudud is possible and a potential threat, this is a political reality based on when Pakatan governs the country and not based on the calculation where the current government is helmed by BN.
Hew also forgot to include the factor of the potential strength of the upcoming prime minister. What if the majority of Muslims MPs in Pakatan decide to elect (PAS president Abdul) Hadi Awang as their prime minister.
Having the influence of a prime minister will also increase support among the non MuslimPakatan MPs for Hadi for their own political survival in the coalition and government. Mathematically, the number of Muslim MPs from Pakatan will be more than the number of Muslim MPs from BN.
Mathematically, Pakatan’s strong performance in the last general election also led to Parliament witnessing a decrease of seven non Muslim MPs.
Even if their choice is Anwar Ibrahim for prime minister, Anwar has pledged his personal support for the implementation of hudud and never once dared to object to it like how Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has done.
Even Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who seems pro-Malay has never once made a stand or expressed personal support for hudud.
In politics, sometimes it is not all about mathematics. Just look at Perak where DAP won three times the number of seats compared to PAS but the menteri besar came from PAS.
Despite DAP existing in Kelantan, its leaders have never been able to block PAS’ Islamic state agenda in the state.
A similar situation is also unfolding in Kedah – bumiputera housing loan has been increased from 30% to 50% and then from 50% to 70%, pork abbatoirs were banned, gambling was banned and the list goes on even without a 2/3.
Let us talk about Selangor where PAS is the least dominant political party. Do they actually need to be a strong political powerhouse or obtain 2/3 support to raid 7/11 outlets for selling alcohol beverages? What about the ban imposed on a cinema in Bangi back then?
In conclusion, the threat of hudud under Pakatan is real, be it politically or mathematically.
Shen Yee Aun is a political observer and former Klang DAP Youth chief.
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