Husam: No hudud without consent of KeADILan and DAP

No unilateral decisions, no partner to impose its agenda on the others

By Wong Choon Mei

PAS vice president Husam Musa - who together with Umno’s Khairy Jamaluddin stirred a hornet’s nest after they both called for the introduction of hudud law - has said that any such move would first require the agreement of Pakatan Rakyat partners - KeADILan and DAP.

“However, PAS will continue with its struggle to implement Hudud law, which is God’s law, by explaining to all quarters, including the Pakatan Rakyat component parties, until they are ready to accept the law,” Husam said.

“We will discuss the hudud law and if they cannot accept its implementation when the time comes, we will postpone it,” he added.

His gesture will sit well with both KeADILan and DAP leaders, who have been worried the comments might misrepresent the overall stance of the tripartite alliance. The trio had in August entered an agreement which requires any policy change to be made only after multi-lateral discussion and consent.

“We welcome Husam’s clarification,” said KeADILan Information Chief Tian Chua. “This again proves that Pakatan works on a consensus basis. No unilateral decisions are made and none of the partners will impose their own values or agenda on the others.”

Political maturity

Since the formation of the alliance to take on the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in the March 2008 general election, doomsayers and political rivals have been predicting their bust-up on the basis of incompatible ideology.

But the trio has defied the odds and managed to stick together - prompting many analysts to come round to the view that perhaps they had more issues in common than differences.

“It’s natural to doubt that it can be all roses especially when you look at PAS and DAP. They seem so contrasting and they are also very strident about their stance. Yet the big break-up that everyone has been predicting hasn’t come and they have been together for quite a while already,” said a political analyst.

“I guess it shows their maturity as politicians and as political parties, otherwise they would have broken up long ago. Perhaps their commitment to their common causes has also been under-estimated. If not, they wouldn’t have been able to compromise or made the sacrifices that they have.”

Stirring up a storm

The issue over hudud - not new - stirred up a storm of reaction after Husam and Khairy both declared at an open debate they would implement the Islamic law if they came to power.

Their comments sparked an outcry from non-Muslim groups, including the Barisan Nasional component MCA as well as from the DAP. Hudud is feared by non-Muslims because it includes as punishment stoning to death and amputation of limbs.

“Hukum hudud is not Pakatan Rakyat policy and it is for Husam to clarify what he actually said,” veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang had written in his blog.

“If unclarified, Husam’s statement would create unease, anxiety and opposition not only among the 11% of the Chinese voters in the critical Kuala Terengganu by-election on Jan 17 but also among both Malay and non-Malay voters whether in Terengganu or the rest of Malaysia.”

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak too tried to limit the damage from Khairy’s comments. The son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said he would implement hudud if he won the Umno Youth chief post.

“This is an old story … it is nothing new. They (PAS) have not implemented the hudud laws in Kelantan and Terengganu but at every election they raise it as an issue,” Najib said.

Crucial Muslim votes

PAS and Umno are pitted against each other in the upcoming Kuala Terenggany parliamentary by-election. Some 88 percent of the 80,229-strong electorate are Malays, while Chinese make up nearly 11 percent.

Some pundits see the Chinese vote as a crucial decider, but there are others who believe there has been a flight of Malay sentiment from Umno to PAS since the last by-election contest.

According to the latter batch, this is why Najib - campaign director for the Umno-led Barisan Nasional - has avoided openly stating that they are against hudud for fear of alienating Muslim voters.

In the March general election, PAS candidate Mohamad Sabu lost by just 628 votes to Umno candidate Razali Ismail, the former deputy eductaion minister who died suddenly last month.

Meanwhile, Husam said national issues including racial unity, the New Economic Policy (NEP), corruption and the health of economy would take priority.

In particular, he said the existing NEP focused on the advancement of the Malays but neglected the needy among the Indians and Chinese, which PAS regarded as un-Islamic.

“The Hudud law is still hypothetical. There are other issues that have to take precedence,” he stated baldly. “What’s wrong with waiting longer? Umno has not done it after more than 50 years in power.”

Sumber: Suara Keadilan