PAS’ efforts to coerce the Muslim majority population to accept its president Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill is “irresponsible”, said an Amanah leader.

Amanah’s Parit Buntar MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa in a comment today ticked off PAS leaders for using threats like “rejecting Marang MP’s motion is to reject hudud or to reject the strengthening of the syariah courts”.

“This statement is irresponsible, because no one is opposing syariah or Islam, but its legislation is another matter altogether, from the point of view of administration, management and issues of the country’s legal system,” said Mujahid.

“Don’t drag religion into matters of administering and managing religion, the two are different, criticising the administration of religion isn’t the same as criticising religious principles,” he pointed out.

He added if the matter is brought to Parliament, then all lawmakers have the right to debate on the issue, without excluding the non-Muslims as they too are stakeholders in the country’s laws and constitution.

“Therefore warnings such as ‘non-Muslims don’t interfere’ or ‘non-Muslims cannot determine matters involving Muslims’, are inconsistent with the statement that Parliament is the proper place to debate the matter democratically,” said Mujahid.

Yesterday Hadi said he tabled the bill now popularly referred to as the Hudud Bill, because it deserved to be debated, but that the bill is “related to Muslims and does not involve non-Muslims”.

PAS' hudud lifeline

Mujahid lamented that political expediency was taking precedence in the issue, which he said was a result of PAS' need to rely on hudud as it's political lifeline.

Examining claims that the bill is not to implement hudud but merely to strengthen syariah law, Mujahid asked what the point was, if other states were not taking the same steps as Kelantan to amend their state enactments.

"What's the political will to implement the spirit of the amendments in other states (if passed) just like Kelantan, which claims hudud is its lifeline for voter support?

"Is hudud also the 'lifeline' for the Harapan and BN governments?" he asked.

"If not, then why and what is the aim of BN giving the motion space for the Marang MP, who is the PAS president?

"Is it to save only Kelantan under PAS as it's their lifeline ... or is it a concession for good relations between PAS and Umno after PAS 'divorced' Pakatan Rakyat," he mused.

Hudud atau pemerkasaan mahkamah syariah?