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Hudud violent? What about capital punishment, asks Malaysia's Islamic party
Critics of "violent" punishments under hudud, the Islamic penal code, were ignoring the barbaric nature of capital and corporal punishments under existing federal laws, said Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) leader Abdul Hadi Awang in his first response to an opposition coalition member severing ties with him
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ritics of "violent" punishments under hudud, the Islamic penal code, were ignoring the barbaric nature of capital and corporal punishments under existing federal laws, said Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) leader Abdul Hadi Awang in his first response to an opposition coalition member severing ties with him.
Earlier this week, Democratic Action Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said his party "deplores the dishonest and dishonourable acts" of Hadi after the PAS leader helped push through hudud laws in Kelantan state, which PAS controls.
The move violated the spirit of consensus within the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, Lim said. He said he would no longer work with Hadi, a decision that angered PAS members.
Hadi said the public should not jump to conclusions without understanding what is hudud, which prescribes amputations, stoning and whipping for some offences.
"Surely, it is not sweet if we act like a parrot that is clever only in repeating the words taught by his master, but remains as an animal without (the capability to) reason or understand the nature of the words uttered," he said.
"Therefore explaining its meaning with knowledge derived from al-Quran and as-Sunnah is very important," he said in a posting on Facebook.
As-Sunnah refers to the prophetic tradition.
PAS' hudud move has become politically divisive in Malaysia. To enforce the code in Kelantan, PAS needs the national Parliament to approve changes to federal laws. That is looking unlikely.
The Straits Times reported yesterday that a proposal to discuss the implementation of hudud in Kelantan was put to Malaysia's respected nine-member Council of Rulers by Jakim, a federal Islamic agency, after discussions between the ruling United Malays National Party and PAS.
But the council resisted discussing it at their March 11 meeting when it was presented to them for endorsement by Jakim.
The rulers felt that it encroached on their constitutional authority as head of religion in their respective states, a source told The Straits Times. (***)
