PKR's Muslim MPs have refused to say whether they will vote against a private member's bill to be tabled in Parliament by PAS which would pave the way for hudud to be enforced in Kelantan.PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli said the party would only make a stand on the issue once it sees a draft of the bill.
“It is premature for me to comment on this. If there is a draft of the bill, we want to see it first. Then we will bring the matter up for discussion at the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council.”
Rafizi said he respected Kelantan PAS’s right to proceed with their state assembly sitting, adding that PR will discuss how to respond to the proposed bill.
“I do not want to jump the gun on this. We want to methodically deal with this at the national level, just like how we did so in the past,” said Rafizi, who is also Pandan MP.
The 18 Muslim MPs in PKR and DAP have been dubbed the "magic 18" by Gerakan secretary-general Liang Teck Meng, who urged them to vote against the private member's bill to be tabled by PAS in the Parliament.
PKR has 16 Muslim MPs, while two of DAP's 37 MPs are Muslims.
The private member's bill will need a simple majority of 112 MPs supporting it in order for it to be
passed. The bill can be tabled once the Kelantan state assembly passes amendments to its Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II, which it plans to do at a special sitting on December 29.Umno has 88 MPs, of which all, with the exception of deputy speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee, are Muslims.
PAS holds 21 seats in Parliament and their combined force would still be short of four seats for the bill to pass.
DAP's Zairil Khir Johari today responded to Liang's suggestion by noting that the party has consistently opposed hudud law for Malaysia.
"DAP’s stand has been very clear from the beginning and Gerakan should ask those in Umno to stand with us,” Zairil had said in Penang today.
Other PKR Muslim MPs would not make a stand until the party leadership made a decision.
They also refused to state whether they would support the hudud bill, but said Muslims were required to support the Islamic laws.
Bukit Katil MP Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said he wanted to see an official statement from PAS first.
"I cannot give any comments as I have not seen an official statement from PAS. I can only give my personal view once there is an official decision on the matter,” said Shamsul Iskandar, who is also PKR vice-president.
A similar cautious tone was repeated by Sungai Petani MP Datuk Johari Abdul, who said he would wait for PKR's stand.
“I was not informed of any meeting yet at the Pakatan secretariat level on the issue so I do not have enough information to enable me to comment,” said Johari, who is the coordinator for the party’s MPs and state assemblymen, adding that he expects the party to meet soon to decide on the issue.
Their mixed feelings reveal how divisive the hudud issue is for PR, with the Islamist PAS bent on enforcing it in Kelantan despite objections from DAP.
PR leaders in the past have admitted that if PAS goes ahead with their plans, it could break up the seven-year-old coalition, seen to be the most formidable opposition alliance against BNs's 54-year rule.
PAS also got rare support from its arch rival Umno, who said it would support attempts to enforce hudud in Kelantan.
In April, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said Umno's 88 MPs will support the PAS bill, which among others allows for capital punishment on Muslims convicted of theft, adultery and alcohol consumption.
Currently, Shariah is only applied in Muslim marriages, inheritance and such personal conducts as alcohol consumption and relations between sexes.
Meanwhile, two PKR lawmakers were more strident in their responses, saying Muslim MPs could not simply “refuse to support” hudud.
“Muslims cannot refuse God’s law,” said Indera Mahkota MP Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman.
“But we have to explain it properly and we have to put the necessary infrastructure in place first before we implement it.”
Fauzi also said he wanted to see the bill first before deciding.
He said it was more important for Malaysians be schooled on the law first and that the police and courts be totally prepared to enforce it.
“If the bill says it wants to increase awareness and publicity and that it wants to put the infrastructure in place first, then maybe I will support it.
“But if it says they will introduce the law first and the rest comes after, then it will be hard for me to agree,” said Fauzi.
Lumut MP, First Admiral (R) Muhammad Imran Abdul Hamid, also did not clearly state whether he would support the bill but said Muslims were required to support Quranic laws.
“If the DAP wants to object to it, that is their right because they are non-Muslims.
"But if Muslims themselves do not support it, then it would seem strange. We have to accept those laws and we have to be wise about implementing them.
“Look at Brunei, the world did not end when they put hudud in place. So we don’t have to worry,” said Imran.
He said hudud would also protect non-Muslims.
“For instance, in Sitiawan (a town with a large non-Muslim population), there are many Muslim thieves. So we want to teach Muslims to fear God’s laws.” – December 19, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pkrs-muslim-mps-undecided-on-pass-hudud-bill#sthash.RQBOdgLK.dpuf
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