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PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa, the man behind the current controversy, said PAS would not give up on hudud which he said, was God’s law. Comment by BARADAN KUPPUSAMY, THE STAR
WITH the Kuala Terengganu by-election battle looming ahead, an old ghost that was conveniently swept under the carpet for reason of political expediency has returned to haunt the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. The Pakatan’s odd man out is PAS, a party wholly based on Islam and dreaming of turning this country into an Islamic theocratic state. Out of the blues PAS is again ratcheting up its demand to implement the Islamic hudud and qisas laws that variously punish theft, robbery, illicit sex, alcohol consumption and apostasy with whipping, stoning to death and amputation of limbs. In unvarnished terms top PAS leaders defend hudud and promise, when Pakatan seizes power, that they would implement the law, saying there was nothing wrong about it but only that DAP and PKR leaders, who oppose hudud, need some “educating” to end their opposition. PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said it was ibadat or religious obligation for PAS to pursue hudud laws. “If they can accept the death sentence, why can’t they accept hudud,” Nik Aziz said in this usual forthright way. PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa, the man behind the current controversy, said PAS would not give up on hudud which he said, was God’s law. “We will explain to all quarters, including the Pakatan Rakyat component parties, until they are ready to accept the law,” he said. Such statements coming from respected PAS leaders are disheartening to many recent non-Muslim supporters of PAS. They had argued that with the co-operation, understanding and common manifesto put forward by Pakatan on March 8, the hudud and such issues have been finally laid to rest. They had put their faith in a “new PAS” that they saw as moderate, liberal, and inclusive and even “secular” – a party that had abandoned the Islamic state ideology for a welfare state concept that was based on common human values. But that view now appears whimsical. As expected DAP leaders, worried over the negative impact of hudud on non-Muslims, are incensed with PAS leaders and have quickly and firmly restated their opposition to hudud. DAP chairman Karpal Singh even asked PAS to give up its “myopic” views because it was damaging the Pakatan politically. They worry such statements would alienate the 11% Chinese voters in Kuala Terengganu whose support is crucial to wrest the seat from the Barisan Nasional. PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the man who glued together the three disparate parties and led them to victory, has been urged to once again step into the breach and restore order. But whatever settlement he brokers would only be temporary because PAS, unlike the PKR or DAP, is a party entirely based on Islam and cannot give up its raison d’etre. The issue is too fundamental for PAS and its far flung conservative support bank and is epitomised by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, whose push for hudud, an Islamic constitution for the country and an Islamic financial system, after winning big in the 1999 general election, ended disastrously. Between the victory of 1999 and the defeat of 2004, the single dominant issue for Hadi and PAS was hudud and an Islamic theocratic state. After a lull for several years and with a big by-election battle in Hadi’s own backyard, the same issue has cropped up. Secular political parties like the DAP or PKR, unlike PAS, can sit down and negotiate a common platform based on “common human values” and continuously “adjust” their programmes according to needs. PAS, however, is different being a party based on religion. One part of the party is cast in concrete and inflexible on fundamentals while another is moderate and liberal but even then in a limited way. The urgency to win the by-election is forcing the conservative forces in PAS to re-exert themselves and to assure supporters that in all the “liberalism and moderation” before and after March 8, Islam remains the party’s only reason to exist. Unlike others, PAS is a party with a long-term vision and is not afraid to lose a by-election or two to stay on course towards fulfilling their ultimate dream. It at times like now the party has to reassure its one million card carrying members that it has not and will not sacrifice key issues to accommodate political allies. “They have to understand we are facing a big battle on our own turf, before our people,” said a senior PAS leader. “We have also made huge sacrifices for the DAP and PKR,” he said. “But now it is ground zero, our battle and we want to win. We could use some patience and understanding.” He said that expecting PAS to give up on hudud or qisas is like asking the DAP to give up on its Malaysian Malaysia ideology or Umno to give up on ketuanan Melayu. It’s probably this inflexibility that has hampered Anwar from putting together a clearly spelt out vision and mission statement for the Pakatan Rakyat coalition that is compatible with the long-term aims of PAS. PKR and DAP leaders, however, insist a common platform acceptable to all is already available in the Constitution which balances and guarantees Muslim and non-Muslim rights. But for PAS that is not good enough. The Quran is their constitution in this life and thereafter and because of that the political hiccups over hudud and syariah are unlikely to end any time soon.
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