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Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Hudud ‘apartheid’ under guise of religion

Federal Constitution does not allow for a people to be judged by different laws for the same offence.


FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Hudud can be considered a form of apartheid similar to South Africa in the 1960s except that this tie concerns religion instead of race.

“Our current civil laws are already enough to prevent crime, and there is no need to introduce harsher punishments simply because it is part of your religion,” said Lua Choon Hann, the MCA Kelantan State Liaison Committee Secretary, pointing out that Malaysia was a secular state although Islam is the religion of many people as acknowledged in the Federal Constitution.

“The implementation of hudud law will also create a major headache for the legal system of our nation, and only move to further segregate Muslims from non-Muslims with different laws for different people.”

The Federal Constitution, he points out, does not allow for a people to be judged by different laws for the same offences. “The Federal Constitution enshrines equality under the law.”

Deputy Kelantan Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah Mohd Amar has also conceded the gender bias in the application of hudud law when he admitted to “the lesser weight given to women’s testimonies”, added Lua who is also MCA Kelantan Economic Consultative Committee Chairman and MCA Central Committee Member.

He urged DAP and PKR to talk sense into PAS, and “if PAS refuses to listen to them, then leave the Pakatan coalition so as to deny them the support they need to pass their private member’s Bill on hudud law in Parliament”.

He noted that Mohd Amar’s promise, in an online interview, “not to be overzealous on hudud”, is sheer proof that PAS will not back down on their hudud agenda, and that DAP and PKR must do something to dissuade them.

The interview, he continued, “probably an attempt to make hudud more appealing to the non-Muslim community, has only served to frighten them more”.

“The only assurances that we have been given by Mohd Amar is that PAS will promise not to be overzealous while implementing the harsh punishments of their hudud law,” he said.

“However, saying and doing are two different things entirely, and from past policies implemented by the PAS Kelantan state government, as well as in Kedah when PAS was in power, we know very well that PAS can be overzealous.”

He cited their gender segregation policies for public places, cinemas, and the ban preventing hairstylists from attending to customers of the opposite gender.

What about the fines issued by the Kota Baru Municipal Council (MPKB) to female workers who were deemed indecent simply because their sleeves were not long enough?

“Besides that, the fact that PAS is still adamant on implementing inhumane punishments such as stoning and amputation is also proof of their over-zealousness in trying to become more religious than other Islamic nations,” he said.

“Can PAS provide any other proof that we will not end up like Nigeria or Pakistan other than their ‘promise’, which we all know by now to be untrustworthy?”

Mohd Amar needs to further clarify how “chopping off hands is to save society” when unemployment and stigmatization that follow after a limb is hacked off renders the victim destitute, stressed Lua.

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