Former minister in charge of law, Zaid Ibrahim, proposed today that the Private Member’s Bill on hudud tabled in Parliament by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang be put to a referendum.
In a series of tweets after making a blog posting on the matter, Zaid said many people assumed that Hadi, and (Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak, speak for the Malays.
“They speak for their politics, not the interests of the Malays. Why is everybody talking about non-Muslims’ view on hudud? Doesn't a Muslim's view count?” Zaid asked.
“I don't want hudud. There are others too like me. I propose the PM puts the issue to a referendum. But allow people who disagree to campaign freely. That’s good for a starter,” Zaid said on Twitter.
In his blog posting earlier today, Zaid (photo) claimed that Hadi had modified hudud to suit his political needs, part of which is to maintain support from Chinese voters.
"Hudud, the original version, of God’s law, of course applies to everyone and if punishment leads to death, then so be it.
"That’s God’s law, but Hadi has modified it to suit his political agenda. He is only making the law applicable to Muslims, so he can keep the Chinese votes," Zaid wrote.
A straw poll conducted by Malaysiakini last year indicated that some non-Muslims in Kelantan were not against the implementation of hudud if it could reduce crime rates.
The hudud issue returned to the spotlight after a motion by Hadi to table his Private Member’s Bill to increase the punishment scope of syariah courts was fast tracked in Parliament last Thursday.
The bill is a necessary step to allow for the implementation of hudud, the Islamic penal code, in Kelantan.
'Part of the web of lies'
Zaid said through the bill, the PAS president wanted to give syariah courts unlimited power to deal out punishments short of the death penalty.
This, he said, was part of the web of lies surrounding the bill spun by Hadi, Najib and Umno.
One of the lies, he said, was to brush off Hadi's bill as being unrelated to hudud.
"They said it was about elevating the status of the syariah court by enhancing its sentencing powers.
"Elevate to do what? To amputate the offenders, that’s what."
Zaid also rubbished the notion that the effects of the bill would only be confined to Kelantan, when there was "no limit in its application to any particular state".
The former Kota Bharu MP said that Hadi and Najib should just be honest with voters if they wanted to implement hudud, adding that God does not like those who lie and spin their words.
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