If we say political parties in Malaysia are weird, it is an understatement. They are like ice cream sellers - it does not matter whether the ice cream is good or bad, they just have to sell it.

Seriously, how do we describe BN, Umno, Pakatan Harapan, PAS, PKR, DAP and Amanah?

PAS wants hudud, but the party is working with Umno which is still unsure about hudud, at least at this stage. Umno has not got rid of its BN partners who are ‘openly’ against hudud.

But the irony is that BN parties like MCA, Gerakan, and MIC are now campaigning for Umno, the party colluding with PAS on hudud. So which is which? Are PAS and Umno serious about hudud? Are MCA, Gerakan and MIC serious in their protest against hudud? If you are sure of the answer, please tell me.

Pakatan Harapan said it is supporting Amanah’s candidates in both Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar. But PKR, a component party in Pakatan Harapan, is still working with PAS in the Selangor state government. So is PKR with Pakatan Harapan or PAS? Amanah, which is supported by DAP, is also ambiguous on hudud. So which is which again?

Is PKR for or against hudud? Can Amanah, after receiving support from the DAP, be trusted of its stand on hudud? Is DAP supporting another ‘future PAS’ in Amanah?

Why are Malaysian political parties so ‘afraid’ of hudud? I think it has to do with us - Malaysians.

I think one-third of Malaysians are either ignorant or stupid. They think hudud is fun or it will not affect them much. They think they are decent good people never ever going to commit a crime which may someday convict and punish them under hudud. They think hudud is a good deterrent and an effective means to combat crimes.

Then we have another one-third who think hudud is their religious and pious duty and responsibility. Good or bad, this penal code is ‘divine’ and therefore indisputable.

The last one-third are probably people who could see the baloney and fake all around, but are unable to do much because they belong to the minority.

This is where leadership comes in because politics is not like selling ice cream. Unfortunately, Malaysian politicians and their political parties are ice cream sellers - they cater only to the misplaced needs of the majority.

Hudud is a good ‘sell’ because no one wants to highlight the ugly truth. If hudud is a good crime-buster, why haven’t wise men in other countries thought of this earlier? Are we saying those PAS politicians, who once worn robes and ‘serban’ and are now hoisting kris, are potential Nobel Prize winners?

What empirical evidence have they got that hudud will bring the country forward? Which country has practised it successfully and justly? Which country, after practising it, has become a developed and learned society?

I think as a nation, we the people have been led by the nose from one nonsensical argument to another. We are the victims of treacherous political machinations led by bankrupt politicians who have shown not an iota of interest for this nation.

Some of the paths they contemplate to undertake may be irreparable and irreversible. In the course of my life, I have seen the ups and downs of many countries but never have I seen Malaysia with some much potential and dynamism being slowly snuffed out by bigotry and stupidity so blatantly displaced for all to see.